If you don’t work in radio, or live in Melbourne, on November 22 last year KIIS 1065 Sydney breakfast hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie Henderson (Jackie O) announced a new 10 year contract with their network ARN and that it would include broadcasting live into Melbourne on KIIS 101.1 in 2024.
The then KIIS 101.1 breakfast pairing of Jase Hawkins and Lauren Phillips, plus newsreader Clint Stanaway, were called around 6pm the night before the announcement to be told of the decision by management. They were told they didn’t need to come back in, with Lauren saying on air the next morning:
“We didn’t have to be here this morning to make this announcement, but we’re here.”
The pair saw out the rest of that week, and the next. After the announcement was made, which you can still listen to above, the team behind the show were thanked, as were the listeners.
At the end of each year Radioinfo looks back on the stories that resonate the most with our readers. Jase and Lauren’s emotional farewell was the most responded to and read on our socials.
Jase and Lauren didn’t know then that Nova 100 in Melbourne would pick them up, moving their breakfast team of Ben, Liam and Belle onto what the station has dubbed Late Drive.
A month ago, Marty Sheargold, the comedian and then host of Triple M Breakfast in Melbourne, owned by ARN’s rival network SCA, decided he wouldn’t return to that role while on his winter break.
“Taking an extended break at the end of last year has reinforced the importance of spending more quality time with my family. As a result, I have made the decision to prioritise self-care, maintaining a better work/life balance and will not be returning to my Triple M Breakfast show.
However, I will continue The Marty Sheargold Show podcast, along with the 3-4pm national Triple M show. I want to thank my immediate team and the network for their ongoing support and understanding. And I’d also like to thank the listeners for their loyalty to both the show and the station. Like them, I remain a Triple M fan.”
Around 6pm last Wednesday August 7, news started to filter through that SCA’s breakfast team of David “Hughesy” Hughes, Ed Kavalee and Erin Molan on 2Day FM Sydney were done. In the media release I received later that night Hughesy, Ed and Erin had, like Marty, issued a joint statement saying:
“We’ve loved our time together on 2DayFM Breakfast, however, due to some of our families living in different cities we are unable to commit to 2025, so with a heavy heart we are moving aside so 2DayFM can find the team to take them forward in Breakfast. We are so grateful to Sydney for their support, and to double the number of listeners in three years is something we are immensely proud of, and we will miss each and every one of them.”
Again, for those of you not in the radio industry, or living in Sydney, Hughesy, Ed and Erin did their breakfast show as per normal on Wednesday morning.
Later that day a decision was made by someone or someones that the show wouldn’t continue. On Thursday and Friday 2Day FM served up a no host music show.
Hughesy, Ed and Erin shared the same quote I received in my media release to Facebook and Instagram. Responses included:
No real explanation or goodbye to loyal listeners as evident in this post
And:
I’m confused. Not continuing in 2025 is one thing but not seeing out the year is another.
And:
I missed you this morning. I kept waiting for them to say why you weren’t on.
It must have been hard for ARN Management to allow Jase and Lauren to return to work for the following days after being made redundant and trust that they would act and behave in a way that wouldn’t burn bridges or buildings. That decision, on both sides, looks different now in hindsight.
I don’t know whose decision it was on Wednesday that the team that had been serving up breakfast on 2Day FM for two and a half years would just not return and issue a joint statement to that effect. I’ve sat with it over the weekend alongside the chat and articles about why they left and where they are going but I keep coming back to this.
It feels disrespectful to not actually say goodbye.
Breakfast radio, any radio or podcast for that matter, isn’t like buying a seasonal wardrobe that you bin six months later. Listeners become invested in you personally and as part of a bigger team, community, family and work picture.
Joel Creasey from the Nova Network’s drive show Ricki-Lee, Tim and Joel said at the recent The Audio Edge event in Melbourne that he was approached by a stranger one day who started midway through a conversation and then stopped themselves saying:
“Oh my god! Sorry. I just feel as if I know you.”
Joel replied:
“You do. You do know me. Everything I say and do is me, and so what you hear is me.”
Three of the hardest things in life to say are thank you, sorry and goodbye.
I think that if Hughesy, Ed and Erin had been able to, or had decided that they would say on air that their show was wrapping up due to the strain of constantly being apart from family, then far more good will would follow wherever they go next. Jase and Lauren, albeit in a very different scenario, are a case in point.
The trio could have seen out the week, shared their favourite memories on air of working together and enjoyed listeners comments and calls wishing them well.
We don’t all get to plan and curate our farewells. I get that. It’s business. But we are also in the business of audio, of connection and of building brand, advertiser and listener loyalty.
Those loyal listeners, and advertisers, deserved better.
Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo