Breakfast hosts Wendy and Robbie are leaving the ABC Sydney breakfast show.
“What I will miss the most is speaking to the audience,” Robbie told a caller when the announcement was made this morning.
The pair will continue to work until 10 December, when the station will go into summer programming.
A replacement will be announced in about two weeks, and will begin in the new year. “We don’t know who is coming next,” said Wendy. “You know what these radio executives are like, they like to torture everyone.”
Stepping away “will be tough” said Robbie, but he is expected to have a continuing role with the station in the future.
The Breakfast co-hosts told their listeners this morning they had made the decision to “go out on a high” and that the decision was entirely theirs and the time ‘felt right’ for a change. They took over the breakfast show in 2018 (see our previous report).
Wendy Harmer said: “I was thrilled to be invited to join the station in 2015 and have loved my time on the Morning and Breakfast shifts for the past six years.
“I hadn’t worked with Robbie, but the decision to put us together on Brekkie turned out to be inspired. For the past four years we’ve got to know each other at the same time as the audience and it has blossomed into a fabulous on-air partnership and a wonderful friendship too. Lots of laughs, great music and, hopefully, keeping our Sydney audience informed.
“I’m in awe of Robbie’s radio craft – such an accomplished broadcaster. He’s been a truly generous co-host. Thank you, Robbie, for everything.
“And what a team of talented producers I’ve been lucky enough to work with every day! Their support, knowledge and dedication has been outstanding. I could not have wished for more.
“I will also very much miss our passionate, clever, loyal listeners from here and all over the world. Thank you, one and all, for tuning in!
“Hopefully it’s not ‘goodbye’ forever and Robbie and I will turn up together on a future project.”
Robbie Buck said: “I’ve been with the ABC for 25 years and in the Breakfast chair for the past eight years and the time just feels right for me to take a break. I’ve enjoyed every minute of this job and sharing the gig with Wendy over the past three years has been an absolute joy.
“We’ve been through a lot together. We always enjoyed each other’s company and I think that’s what’s made the partnership so good. I now plan to take a year away from the mic and see the world. It’s not goodbye to the ABC. You’ll see me back in some capacity in 2023.”
ABC Radio Sydney Manager Melanie Withnall has told radioinfo: “We knew this day would come but I respect their decision to call it when it feels right for both of them.
“Obviously their decision is a huge loss for the station. We’ve just achieved record audience numbers and Wendy and Robbie are in a strong second spot in the Sydney market. They’ll be an incredibly hard act to follow, but we are well progressed on who will replace them next year. An announcement on the 2022 line up will be made in the next fortnight.
“In the meantime, Robbie and Wendy still have more than two months on air together. We plan to farewell them in style leading up to their last broadcast on 10 December.”
The breakfast show increased share last survey and has had strong ratings all this year. See our Survey 5 report here.
2GB's Ben Fordham was quick to react to the story that the pair will finish at the end of the year.
Quick story.
When I was asked to replace Alan Jones, I got a call from Wendy Harmer.
We didn’t know each other.
Even though we’d soon be rivals, she offered me support and wise words.
Thanks @wendy_harmer and good luck to you and @robbie_buck for your next adventure ! https://t.co/Tx2gM07SGq
— Ben Fordham (@BenFordham) September 30, 2021
While I don't know the reasons for Wendy and Robbie leaving, what I can say is that breakfast presenters on the major metropolitan ABC radio stations are on the breakfast shift for only a few years unlike their commercial radio counterparts. In this case, Wendy and Robbie have been on the breakfast shift for four years.
On the other hand, there were breakfast presenters on ABC metropolitan stations such as Peter Evans (RIP 1985) who was an "institution" on 3LO (ABC 774) for 20 years. At the same time, Red Symons had the highest rating programs on 3LO (ABC 774) who was suddenly dismissed from from his program.
While I cannot predict the directions of the two presenters, it appears that Wendy will be assisting her son in a startup (business) and Robbie will be taking a break from radio hopefully returning on air at a future time, source: https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/radio/robbie-buck-and-wendy-harmer-no-longer-to-host-abc-breakfast-sydney/news-story/555e779d4a09ec0fa6f9313d821e797d .
For many presenters who started on JJJ, there is a pattern: JJJ > RN > Metropolitan breakfast > Other ABC programs or RN or Metropolitan > Management within the ABC or presenting on commercial radio or other pursuits such as academia and/or writing science-based books.
Nevertheless, I hope the next presenter or presenters who are engaging last a little longer than a few years or if they leave, it's on their own volition. I don't like to think that people are disposable.
Thank you,
Anthony of thoughtful Belfield