Sydney radio identity Malcolm T Elliot has died.
He began his career at 3NE Wangaratta in 1967 before moving to 3SR Shepparton, 2TM Tamworth and then onto Newcastle with stints at 2HD and 2KO.
He worked in the newsroom at 2SM and 3AK before joining 5AD in 1970 and was recruited to 4BK to do the Breakfast Show and the success of his show in Brisbane brought attention from 2UW and he headed south to host their breakfast show from 72-76 and then again from 78-79.
Perhaps his most famous moment on air was the 24 Hour Lock-in at 2UW when he “locked” himself in the studio and broadcast for 24 hours with thousands of people filing through the studio’s to see him.
Ray Hadley played an exerpt from that show this morning on 2GB
Malcolm’s radio career also saw him at 2GB, 2KY finally at 2UE from 1992 – 2004.
His TV work saw him as one of 5 regulars on Celebrity Squares.
He retired from radio in 2004 after undergoing bypass surgery, and had treatment for prostate cancer in 2010 and in October 2015 underwent heart ablation surgery and had a pacemaker inserted.
Malcolm was a big reader of radioinfo as a way of keeping up with the industry, often corresponding with us to point out any inaccuracies and to take issue with anything he didn’t like. He was not a fan of pictures in the new site when we revamped it ten years ago, but he eventually got used to it :).
Sydney Radio star Malcolm T Elliott has died, 73. Malcolm hosted breakfast show on 2UW for most of the 70s. In the 90s and early 2000s he was a host on 2GB then later at 2UE. He was part of the TV comedy game show “Celebrity Squares”. A fun bloke to work with. @7NewsSydney pic.twitter.com/TDVf9juJ7c
— Jason Morrison (@JasonMorrisonAU) August 8, 2019
One of Malcolm’s former colleagues is David Wynter, who recalls the 2UW breakfast lock-in stunt:
When Malcolm T arrived at the NEW2UW we instantly hit it off. We formed a friendship both inside and out of this famed Kent St. premises.
Malcolm went to Management and insisted that I was to be the only Master Control Engineer rostered on for his Breakfast shifts which he was bringing in top ratings results.
When Malcolm decided on “The Lock-in” (which brought up the ratings like nothing else) he had people, even Lawsie, on side!
He came up with the idea that he would “lock” himself in his studio and “take over” the station for 24 hours. I was given a new NEW2UW tee shirt and because I was fairly large I was appointed as the guardian as the only person allowing entry to his studio.
From memory, there was a photo in the then Daily Mirror of me guarding the entrance to the studio to keep “others” out! I’d love to find that photo.
Great times! RIP Malcolm T.
Over the years we covered Malcolm’s activities and his health. A couple of past reports are:
Peter Saxon writes…
I didn’t know him well, personally, but I certainly knew of him.
During his second stint at 2UW (now KIIS 106.5) from 1978–79, I was sales manager at the new born 2WS (without FM). All the executives, including general manager Keith Graham and assistant manager Mike Webb were gathered in the boardroom to see the first presentation from the small research firm that the station had hired to figure out where we sat in the market place.
The firm’s principal introduced himself as Max Stolznow and, Keith, with his wry sense of humour asked him, “what was it before?” The joke went over Max’s head as he pressed on to describe how listeners perceived the various breakfast shows of the time.
He described 2UE’s Gary O’Callaghan as a gentleman, a much loved uncle, who you’d be delighted to have over for breakfast. Malcolm T Elliot, who had shot to a 16.5% share, was described as someone who would sit down at your table grab all the bacon, knock over the jug of juice, swear at your kids and make a pass at your wife.
He was the original “shock-jock” in the true meaning of the term – a style totally unheard of in Australian radio at the time.