26 November 2015

Nige quits 104.7 in wake of Scotty's axing

| Charlotte
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Scotty and Nige

Canberra radio broadcaster Nigel “Nige” Johnson has quit the high profile 104.7 breakfast slot and will leave the station altogether a few weeks after the controversial axing of his long-standing breakfast co-host Scott “Scotty” Masters.

When announcing his move on air this morning, Johnson (above right, with Masters) made a connection between his departure and that of Masters a few weeks ago.

“I would be lying to you if I said it had nothing to do with recent changes in the line-up at the radio station,” he said.

“We all know what happened, and I’m going to be brutally honest with you. It was a game changer for me in a lot of ways.”

“Scotty and Nige” presented the station’s breakfast program together for eight years from May 2007 until October 9, when Masters was axed from the line-up after a three-week holiday in Fiji during which he became engaged to his partner. He was called into a meeting with Canberra FM general manager Eoghan O’Byrne who told of his fate, which meant he would not return to the breakfast team.

Masters was particularly disappointed that he did not get the chance to farewell his listeners on air.

The show had long been a ratings success story for all of its eight years, though in the most recent GfK ratings survey, it had lost ground to 666 ABC’s Breakfast with Philip Clark.

Johnson told listeners this morning that Friday would be his last breakfast show.

“In fact, all things being equal, it will be my last time doing any kind of broadcast on 104.7,” he said.

“Now I can assure you it’s not a decision I’ve taken lightly, and it’s been taken for a bunch of different reasons.

“Getting up at 3 in the morning every year for 8 years straight it takes it’s toll on your body and soul even when things are all hunky-dory.”

“Add to that I’m a 41-year-old man doing his level best to fit in on a hip music station aimed at people half my age, and I really think it’s time to walk away.”

Johnson hinted that he would return to radio on sister station 106.3 within a few months. The stations operate from the same premises in Gungahlin under the same general manager and are co-owned by Canberra FM Pty Ltd, a joint venture between Southern Cross Austereo and Australian Radio Network. 104.7 targets an 18 to 39-year-old audience and is part of Austereo’s Hit Network. MIX 106.3 is aimed at the 25 to 54 age group and is part of the KIIS Network.

Johnson said he plans to catch up on 8 years of lost sleep over the news few months.

His current breakfast co-host Kate “Knuckles” Rice will return to newsreading for the station, and incoming hosts Ryan Jon and Tanya Hennessy will start in January 2016.

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chimeralaw said :

I found Scotty and Nige genuinely funny and I am sad to see them go. Hamish and Andy should take note of this and fall on their blunt swords before they get kicked off. Fake laughs only go so far and they stopped being funny or even somewhat clever or amusing years ago.

I’m with you, I thought they were pretty entertaining! Quite sad to see them go.

“Add to that I’m a 41-year-old man doing his level best to fit in on a hip music station aimed at people half my age, and I really think it’s time to walk away.”

Hip ? 104.7 ? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!

CaptainScarlet6:35 pm 26 Nov 15

“who cares ” Could not agree more ,the pair were rubbish ,with same old music day in day out ,
and a very small play list
guys why dont you try Digital Radio …NO ADS ,more choice
Or Good old ‘ Art Sound Radio “

I found Scotty and Nige genuinely funny and I am sad to see them go. Hamish and Andy should take note of this and fall on their blunt swords before they get kicked off. Fake laughs only go so far and they stopped being funny or even somewhat clever or amusing years ago.

Nilrem said :

creative_canberran said :

wildturkeycanoe said :

I haven’t listened to radio in decades, thanks to the “music” being interrupted by the dumb jokes and fake laughter every 2 minutes. Radio used to be about the music, now it’s just advertising.

It’s a bit more complex than that. The way the music licensing fees work, they charge the radios stations based on the percentage of airtime used for music. So having these people rambling lets them lower their costs. I think anyone who just wants music will brew their own, on an iPod or via streaming.

It’s amazing how many people want to listen to a fairly narrow playlist, interspersed with lots of annoying ads, and Beavis and Butthead – with fake laughter!

Particularly the later. The total fits the neat marketing imperative for people who need to be either told what to think, including what is funny, or can not imagine anything different, so demand “Pie ‘n Chips” every day.

“Nige” has quit because nobody else can fake being amused by his inane banter like “Scotty” and without the living laughtrack it sounds like what it is, boofhead boring.

justin heywood said :

Nilrem said :

It’s amazing how many people want to listen to a fairly narrow playlist, interspersed with lots of annoying ads, and Beavis and Butthead – with fake laughter!

Snap!
I’m constantly amazed that not everyone likes what I like either! 🙂

The diversity of humanity is one of its great strengths! 🙂

justin heywood12:59 pm 25 Nov 15

Nilrem said :

It’s amazing how many people want to listen to a fairly narrow playlist, interspersed with lots of annoying ads, and Beavis and Butthead – with fake laughter!

Snap!
I’m constantly amazed that not everyone likes what I like either! 🙂

creative_canberran said :

wildturkeycanoe said :

I haven’t listened to radio in decades, thanks to the “music” being interrupted by the dumb jokes and fake laughter every 2 minutes. Radio used to be about the music, now it’s just advertising.

It’s a bit more complex than that. The way the music licensing fees work, they charge the radios stations based on the percentage of airtime used for music. So having these people rambling lets them lower their costs. I think anyone who just wants music will brew their own, on an iPod or via streaming.

It’s amazing how many people want to listen to a fairly narrow playlist, interspersed with lots of annoying ads, and Beavis and Butthead – with fake laughter!

creative_canberran4:54 pm 24 Nov 15

wildturkeycanoe said :

I haven’t listened to radio in decades, thanks to the “music” being interrupted by the dumb jokes and fake laughter every 2 minutes. Radio used to be about the music, now it’s just advertising.

It’s a bit more complex than that. The way the music licensing fees work, they charge the radios stations based on the percentage of airtime used for music. So having these people rambling lets them lower their costs. I think anyone who just wants music will brew their own, on an iPod or via streaming.

couple of things,

these 2 somehow where voted the third “most liked” thing about Canberra in the “Like Canberra” centenary campaign which I don’t understand either.

also are we really surprised that these 2 have come to an end?

Nilrem said :

Who cares?

18.8 percent of radio listeners in Canberra as of July 2015, the highest rated station in Canberra… so I would say one or two people.

I think they need to rollback their cost cutting changes. The ‘hits and oldschool’ approach is obviously to try and focus on an older demographic as they concede that the young crowd they once targeted has moved to streaming services. R&B Friday also needs to be shot in the head.. it was a good change for a single week, but trudging out the same 50 low royalty R&B songs every Friday is getting tiring.

If I wanted to listen to oldschool and R&B cr$p nonstop i’d revive the CD collection that is floating around the glovebox and save myself the ads… or perhaps get onto streaming services with everyone else.

Nilrem said :

Who cares?

This +1.

wildturkeycanoe5:59 am 24 Nov 15

I haven’t listened to radio in decades, thanks to the “music” being interrupted by the dumb jokes and fake laughter every 2 minutes. Radio used to be about the music, now it’s just advertising. Then again, I’m also an old fart and nothing since the 90s has sounded any good in the music industry, plus the repetition of the same songs gets old very, very quickly.
From an unbiased opinion about Scotty and Nige, I think 104.7 has committed radio suicide in messing up what has been a long career. Canberrans can only hope that the ones filling their huge shoes will bring a breath of fresh air to the station.

creative_canberran12:05 am 24 Nov 15

It’s true that they’ve long been successful in the ratings, however bit silly to only cite the most recent GfK ratings when in fact Scotty and Nige were booted from the top spot as soon as Clark took over at ABC. Been downward ever since for 104 and they lost the top-station spot too most recently.

Who cares?

How long before they take the WIN News option and relay the breakfast show from 2Day FM Sydney?

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