5 July 2019

Alan Jones to take over 2CC Breakfast slot

| Genevieve Jacobs
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Alan Jones will be broadcasting in the 2CC Breakfast slot from July 15. Image: supplied

Alan Jones will be broadcasting in the 2CC Breakfast slot from July 15. Photo: Supplied.

If ever you needed a sign that the Canberra media landscape is in flux, here it is: Alan Jones will be presenting breakfast on 2CC from July 15 in what station manager Michael Jones says will be a direct challenge to the ABC’s Dan Bourchier on news and current affairs.

2CC will run the fully nationally syndicated Jones program from the Sydney studios 5:30 am to 9 am weekdays, while current breakfast host Tim Shaw has been moved to the Drive slot between 3 pm and 6 pm.

ABC Breakfast lost their ratings crown in April after a long run of successive wins throughout the Ross Solley and Philip Clarke eras. Bourchier, who is also the ABC’s newsreader, lost out to 106.3 FM’s Kristen and Nige in their first survey. Johnson has an extensive local radio history and returned to presenting late last year after a hiatus following the implosion of the Scotty and Nige show.

Overall, Hit 104.7 claimed the top spot on 17.8 per cent, just ahead of 106.3 on 17 per cent while with ABC Radio Canberra, with a different programming mix, was third on 12 per cent. 2CC does not feature in the top three listings, although Shaw has worked hard to provide an alternative morning talk offering, as did his predecessor Mark Parton, now a Liberal MLA.

“Dan Bourchier vs Alan Jones would be a good contest,” Michael Jones says. “It’s about winning ears and it gives Canberrans a good choice for which way to go in the mornings.

“Alan has been part of 2CC for a long time and he’s always been very good to us.”

Tim Shaw wilTim Shaw will move to the Drive slot on 2CC. Photo: Twitter.l move to the Drive slot on 2CC. Image: file

Tim Shaw will move to the Drive slot on 2CC. Photo: Twitter.

2CC has previously taken a highlights package with a local breakfast program, but following the success of the model at 4BC in Brisbane, the network believes that a full national breakfast program will win listeners, while incorporating some local content.

“The new arrangement gives us a chance to be more competitive in the market because the resources behind that program are excellent. The success he has as Australia’s number one broadcaster is outstanding”, Jones says.

Jones has recently been embroiled in prolonged contract negotiations, following a major slug to 2GB when he lost a $3.7 million defamation case with Queensland’s Wagner family. Reports before his June 30 contract deadline suggested that Jones had been offered a contract, at $2 million a year, half that of his current salary.

Fairfax Media were the majority owner of Macquarie Media, which owns radio stations 2GB (Sydney), 4BC (Brisbane) and 3AW (Melbourne). Since the merger, Network Nine are now the principal stakeholders.

A statement from Alan Jones says that he is “looking forward to being with you at Breakfast time in Canberra from July 15. We’ll be rattling a few cages!!!”

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Free pod casts are a pretty good alternative

Queanbeyanite7:18 pm 11 Jul 19

Canberra Bubble Buster!

Not my cup of tea, I listen to iTunes classical.

Capital Retro7:36 am 12 Jul 19

That sounds interesting. Which radio station do I tune into to get that?

If you prefer a decent commercial free, Jones talk-back free station try a community radio one like ArtSound FM, 92.7 or 90.3 in Tuggeranong.

Capital Retro8:55 am 06 Jul 19

Here’s something for all you haters (who probably weren’t even born in 1984) to choke on:

Alan Jones AO – Coach – Rugby Union
In 1984 Jones was elected coach of the Wallabies, taking over from Bob Dwyer, and coached Australia until early 1988. The team won 102 matches making him the most successful Australian rugby coach ever. His teams won 23 Tests out of 30, and four of those losses were by just a point.

Malcolm Davies1:19 pm 07 Jul 19

… and your point is?????

Capital Retro7:35 am 12 Jul 19

Read the first sentence again.

HiddenDragon5:51 pm 05 Jul 19

Here I was thinking that misplaced indignation and outrage over Morrison and Trump (and maybe Brexit) would be enough to see an utterly lamentable ACT Government re-elected for yet another term – this will probably seal it.

Anyway, let’s hope that the competition with ABC Canberra doesn’t extend to WIN/Sky running a cheery promo of Alan Jones springing out of bed and swinging down the street like Georgy Girl on uppers…..

I wouldn’t listen to this toxic, biggoted self centred pompious git if you paid me. Not really a fan of Dans but won’t change my loyalty to ABC.

Bourchier continually misuses the phrase ‘You and I’.
And, for that matter, Solley always says ‘try and do something’, instead of ‘try to do something’.
I like to listen to the ABC, but that pair make it very difficult.
Also, who is the ‘Johnson’ that you refer to in paragraph 3?

Can we bring back Martin/Molloy?

Now you’re talking. Check out ‘pure humbug’ for episodes of an amazing Tony Martin radio show called Get This. It was never heard in Canberra, but still absolutely hilarious a decade after it was on MMM.

They take the Mickey out of commercial radio stations.

I listen to Alan on the 2GB app and switch between him and 2CC for local news. Canberra is a bit different to Brisbane where he is relayed to now. For example, Canberra is left wing and the Greens are strong whereas Brisbane (and Qld) are conservative.

It is possible to talk about an overheight truck in the Harbour Tunnel to Sydney and Brisbane listeners but I doubt whether listeners here would be so receptive. Similarly I doubt whether listeners in Brisbane and Rockhampton would be interested in Andrew Barr and the latest small-town gossip which regularly makes it onto the current 2CC breakfast show (and the ABC).

I wish the station well, but historically people in regional areas like to hear a local in the breakfast slot then the network can take over, so for this to work 2CC will have to rewrite the accepted rules and conventions of radio broadcasting in Australia.

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