Amidst the panic of Coronavirus - a great thing happened today on 2SM.
John Laws resumed broadcasting this morning following the death of his wife Caroline ‘The Princess’.
John sounded as good as he ever was, being free of the pressures of 2UE has given him a new lease on his broadcasting life.
Some may say it’s courageous for John to resume broadcasting, for John, it’s a large part of what keeps him alive and healthy.
That was 13 years ago. You’re a bit slow on noticing.
Another great thing happened. A brand new Sydney talk show on 2SM breakfast.
Lineup changes at SM are few and far between.
Marcus Paul is an outstanding choice and a strong lead in to Laws.
Lets hope Paul B Kidd and George Moore get a gig on their terms on the weekend.
It’d be amazing if BOG would change around their weekend morning lineup and add George and Paul 6am-midday weekends.
There cruises should be cancelled now. Did George go down Antarctica again? He may need to self isolate.
What do Sydneysiders think of Marcus Paul in the Morning? Do you feel he is filling the void left by 2UE? And is he an alright alternative to AJ on GB?
IMO it’s refreshing to hear a younger voice on commercial AM breakfast radio. Last time this was done was when 2UE had Jason Morrison for Breakfast.
I noticed soon after he settled in at SM. Took Laws about a year, he made changes to his health and the rest of him improved. I like mentioning it because so many write him off yet he’s doing what he loves and is being paid for it.
John Laws is a better listen than Ray Hadley in my opinion. Maybe different for others. I am happy he is back rather than totally retire after he left UE.
I agree. Laws is a different pace to Hadley and so too is 2SM a different pace to 2GB.
Especially now that 2UE is purely music, I feel there is most definitely a need for a commercial talk alternative to 2GB in Sydney. And I truly feel Marcus Paul followed by Laws is a pretty decent lineup. Now if only Caralis could fix the remaining lineup and it’d be a winner for the 65+.
I do like Poppy on the weekend.
She is a very good host.
Shame about some of the callers!
I really think Dave Sutherland’s boppy, lively, entertaining style would be good for 2SM Nights.
I’d make it a mix of music & light entertainment. Kind of like 2CH with Chris Kearns, but a little less focus on music.
I write this knowing that Marcus’ program goes to air in its entirety (less ad breaks) on 2HC Coffs Harbour which I work for. For his program to really bite into Jones’ share it should be all about Sydney, Sydney, Sydney. Get up close and personal with the various local council issues, say the word Sydney and the big suburbs often and hammer the “localism” home. Do what Jones & Co cannot afford to do and that is to be Sydney centric. It would sound shit in Coffs but the last two breakfast shows (Goldman and Sutherland) barely made it to 4% overall in the last two Coffs surveys. Ironic isn’t it that a 4% share would make you money in Sydney but here it equates to just 3,800 listeners. http://www.radioalive.com.au/RA/media/General/Documents/Licence%20Area%20Profiles/update/COFFS-HARBOUR-XTRA-INSIGHTS-PUBLIC-SURVEY-RESULT.pdf?ext=.pdf
I agree with sediments with Marcus listen to him filling in for John Laws. He is a good alternative to Jones & Ray. 2sm could really fill in the gap what 2ue left behind and compete with 2gb in the future if they tweak it and promote it more.
I am sensing Dave Sutherland may be a little upset that he has been booted from the breakfast slot. According to his Facebook page he is now doing mid-dawns (where Marcus Paul used to be).
Pure ego. Some years ago, Dave was happy with his one shift on Saturday night at KOFM.
Gary Stewart is available for overnights and had been on 5 shifts/week.
Dave is still being paid and likely not much less than bfast.
Bill and Pam would be happy, Marcus would be less on staff costs than Grant Goldman. So they’re saving all round.
Yes, & Dave Cochrane also does Mid/dawns out of 2HD Newcastle like Gary Stewart.
Dave Sutherland is probably only filling in for one of those, I doubt he’s moved there permanently?
Dave Sutherland also lives on the Central Coast (North end I think), so him working from 2HD would suit more than working from 2SM Sydney I’d imagine.
Dave S’s email address has always been @2HD he’s always been a 2HD guy not 2SM, so he’s probably gone back there? He was mostly behind the scenes anyway as producer for 2HD Breakfast, with a few on air weekend shifts, I think 2SM Breakfast has gone to his head.
As you say it’s probably more of an ego hit than anything else, & he needs to get over it, AFAIK he was only ever fill in for Grant when he was away or sick, I don’t think he was ever told or planned to be Grants full time replacement when he could no longer do the Breakfast show?
He’d probably have more listeners right across the network on Mid/Dawns than he would on 2SM breakfast anyway, so not sure what his problem is?
Some of the comments are probably a bit harsh on Dave Sutherland tbh. From his perspective I can see why he is a bit miffed at what has happened. He was effectively presenting the breakfast show full-time since late 2016 - Grant Goldman was rarely on air after that. The show was increasingly branded in his name - references to “sitting in for Grant Goldman” became fewer and fewer and then non-existent. He appeared to do a good job in keeping Grant’s audience happy by sticking with the basic format but putting his own stamp on it. By all accounts he was given to believe after Grant died that the show was his permanently but then a couple of Fridays ago he said as usual at the end of the show “goodbye and see you Monday”, except he wasn’t back on Monday as he was unceremoniously dumped from the show over the weekend.
I’m sure Dave will move on from it in time but it is probably still all a bit raw at the moment. When I listened in on Wednesday morning, he certainly made no mention at the end of the show of Marcus Paul coming up after the news! Dave isn’t the first person to be treated badly by a radio station and he definitely won’t be the last.
From what Dave said on Wednesday, he is now “permanent” on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings out of 2HD and Saturday afternoons at 2 and Sunday mornings at 8 out of 2SM - so still 5 shows a week, with 2 in daytime.
Welcome back Marty, I have missed your input
Thank you, very kind of you to say so!