Radio Articles (General)

[Laney]

http://smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/1...329554591.html

Breakfast queen Wendy Harmer resigns

November 11, 2003 - 5:51PM


Sydney's queen of the airwaves Wendy Harmer today resigned from her breakfast radio throne a year earlier than expected.

A fixture of the 6-9am breakfast timeslot, MS Harmer, who has been with 2Day FM for 11 years, today said it was time to "get on with things I have been wanting to do".

"I am looking forward to being able to work from home and being a full-time mum next year," the one-time stand-up comedian, Logies host, occasional author and mother-of-two said in a statement.

Austereo CEO, Michael Anderson, said the decision had been "quite mutual" and was not due to a ratings slide in the latest industry survey.

The 2Day FM breakfast team - Wendy Harmer, Greg Fleet and Paul Holmes - suffered their worst result in nine years when ACNielsen released their latest figures earlier this month.

Their ratings fell nearly two percentage points to 8.5 per cent and they lost their number one spot to rival station Nova FM's Merrick and Rosso.

"We wouldn't make any strategic decisions based on one survey," Mr Anderson told AAP.

"You can't make a change this significant without there being some fallout."

But advertisers follow ratings and listeners will gravitate towards compelling radio, he said.

Fellow Morning Crew hosts Greg Fleet and Paul Holmes will also finish up with Harmer on November 28, with comedian Judith Lucy to head the station's new breakfast team.

The remaining 2004 line-up will be announced tomorrow.

[unfrufru]

wow!

even though i can't stand wendy harmer, it is the end of an era

now even less women will be on breakfast radio, with wendy and amanda gone.

i don't really think judith lucy will last as host though. i'm hoping they meant taking over for the xmas break. she isn't powerful enough to lead against merrick and rosso.

[Alisso]

Originally Posted by unfrufru

wow!

even though i can't stand wendy harmer, it is the end of an era

now even less women will be on breakfast radio, with wendy and amanda gone.

i don't really think judith lucy will last as host though. i'm hoping they meant taking over for the xmas break. she isn't powerful enough to lead against merrick and rosso.

She also, to be blunt, doesn't have the voice for three hours of breakfast radio a day. I like her comedy, and I can sit through a show and enjoy myself, but three hours would grate on my nerves.


Not that Wil's radio voice is any better *larfs* At least it improves when he gets a cold *G*

[Laney]

just a follow up really...


Lucy will share the microphone with writer and humourist Kaz Cooke and Rove Live TV regular Peter Helliar. Drive presenter Jamie Angel will play the straight role of anchor.

Lucy will move to Sydney in time for the show's January launch, and Melbourne-based Helliar and Cooke will spend alternate fortnights in Sydney.

Lucy and Cooke, who are old friends, have shared the microphone before on 2Day as the Foxy Ladies.

Lucy is a stand-up comedian who came to prominence with the D-Generation on ABC TV's The Late Show and in the past two years has starred in Mick Molloy and Tony Martin's films Crackerjack and Bad Eggs.

Cooke started as a journalist, became a cartoonist and has written several light-hearted books about pregnancy, women's health and child-rearing.

Hellier, a Melbourne stand-up comic, is best known for his weekly segment on the Rove Live TV show and appearances on the Ten Network's Skithouse.

http://smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/1...329636834.html

[kebab_oner]

note that all 3 artists are on token's books.

shame to see fleety go - I'd never listened to 2day before and I probably never will again now he's out of the scene.

[cam]

Yes all three artists are on tokens books. So is fleety. Isn't it unusual that the best comedy talent agency in the country would represent the best comedy talent? I smell a conspiracy.

[kebab_oner]

whether token are the "best comedy agency" or represent the "best comedy talent" is a matter of opinion.

but the fact remains that Token's stranglehold on TV & radio continues to grow stronger. there's no conspiracy, they're quite obviously taking over the Australian media piece by piece.