ABC announces 2019 line-ups for Local and Regional Radio
ABC Radio’s key programs and presenters return in 2019 in an unchanged line-up for its Local Radio stations in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and its Regional network, while ABC RN introduces several new programs and voices to next year’s schedule.
Local Radio in the Capital Cities
ABC Local Radio’s double-header breakfast presentations, introduced at the beginning of the year, return with Sami Shah and Jacinta Parsons hosting in Melbourne and Robbie Buck and Wendy Harmer in Sydney.
At ABC Radio Adelaide, Breakfast presenter Ali Clarke and Mornings presenter David Bevan will continue to co-host their shared slot from 8.30am – 9.00am.
In Brisbane, Loretta Ryan joins Breakfast presenter Craig Zonca as Rebecca Levingston moves to a new role in Mornings.
Drive presenters remain unchanged in five capital cities with Richard Glover presenting in Sydney; Raf Epstein in Melbourne; Steve Austin in Brisbane; Jules Schiller in Adelaide and Geoff Hutchinson in Perth.
All the regular current affairs programs return in 2019 with 30-minute editions of AM at 8.00am, The World Today at midday and PM at 6.30pm.
Conversations is back with presenters Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski being joined for part of the year by ABC RN presenter, Hamish McDonald. An Myf Warhurst returns to the middle of the day, along with some guest co-presenters, in all capital cities except Perth and Hobart.
Philip Clarke and Sarah Macdonald share presenting duties once again to end weeknights with Nightlife.
Local Radio’s biggest line-up changes are reserved for ABC Radio Perth and ABC Radio Darwin with some changes in Canberra as well.
Next year, ABC Radio Darwin will introduce new presenters in all its daytime, evening and weekend slots. Jo Laverty returns home to take over as the station’s new Breakfast presenter and Adam Steer moves into Mornings. Mikaela Simpson is new to Afternoons followed by new Drive presenter, Liz Trevaskis, who takes over the program in March. Georgia Hitch will present Drive for the first two months of the year. Richard Margetson is new to Evenings and Joel Spry and Jess Ong share hosting duties on Weekends.
ABC Radio Perth has several new presenters in 2019, starting with Barry Nicholls who will present an early-bird statewide Breakfast show from 4am – 6am. Russell Woolf and Nadia Mitsopoulos take over the Perth Breakfast slot from 6am – 10am and Jessica Strutt presents the morning Focus. Afternoons sees the extension of Gillian O’Shaughnessy’s program starting at 12.30pm and Christine Layton is the station’s new Saturday Breakfast host.
ABC Radio Canberra sees changes to the latter part of the day with former Perth Breakfast presenter, Paula Kruger joining the Afternoons program and Anna Vidot moving to Drive.
ABC Radio Hobart will announce its 2019 line-up in several weeks.
A full list of ABC Capital City station line-ups can be found below.
Regional Radio
All of ABC’s key Regional programs return in 2019 including the seven state-based Country Hour editions and the national regional current affairs program Australia Wide, presented by Sinead Mangin weekdays at 6.30 pm. The program will continue its repeat on RN and Radio Australia weekdays at 7.30 pm.
In South Australia, Narelle Graham will present the regional Drive program from 4.00pm – 6.00pm.
ABC Great Southern’s Breakfast presenter, Andrew Collins, takes over WA’s statewide Drive program out of Albany and in Newcastle, Jenny Marchant and Dan Cox team up to present a new double-header Breakfast show. Former Newcastle Breakfast presenter, Aaron Kearney returns to the station to present Drive and after 10 successful years, the station’s weekend Treasure Hunter will move to a limited season to make way for a new show to be announced in 2019.
Acting Director of ABC Regional & Local, Judith Whelan, said 2019 was about building on the changes made at the start of the year and consolidating the gains achieved in audience share and reach in recent surveys.
“We saw significant change to our programs and line-ups in 2018. We’ve worked hard to bed in those changes and are now seeing a positive response from our audiences. Next year will be about playing to our strengths – getting our programs into the local and regional communities and collaborating with our colleagues in ABC Television and ABC News on the big national stories such as Australia Day, ANZAC Day and the Federal Election to give Australians the full story as only the ABC can.”
ABC RADIO CAPITAL CITY SCHEDULES
Program Presenter(s)
Sydney
Overnights Trevor Chappell/Rod Quinn
Breakfast Robbie Buck/Wendy Harmer
Mornings (Focus) Cassie McCullagh
Conversations Richard Fidler/Sarah Kanowski/Hamish McDonald
Myf Warhurst Myf Warhurst
Afternoons James Valentine
Drive Richard Glover
Evenings Chris Bath
Nightlife Philip Clarke/Sarah McDonald
Weekends Simon Marnie
Melbourne
Overnights Trevor Chappell/Rod Quinn
Breakfast Jacinta Parsons/Sami Shah
Mornings Jon Faine
Conversations Jon Faine
Myf Warhurst Myf Warhurst
Afternoons Richelle Hunt
Drive Raf Epstein
Evenings David Astle
Nightlife Philip Clarke/Sarah McDonald
Weekends Libbi Gorr
Brisbane
Overnights Trevor Chappell/Rod Quinn
Breakfast Craig Zonca/Loretta Ryan
Mornings (Focus) Rebecca Levingston
Conversations Richard Fidler/Sarah Kanowski/Hamish McDonald
Myf Warhurst Myf Warhurst
Afternoons Katherine Feeney
Drive Steve Austin
Evenings Kelly Higgins-Devine
Nightlife Philip Clarke/Sarah McDonald
Weekends Emma Griffiths
Adelaide
Overnights Trevor Chappell/Rod Quinn
Breakfast Ali Clarke
Mornings David Bevan
Conversations Richard Fidler/Sarah Kanowski/Hamish McDonald
Myf Warhurst Myf Warhurst
Afternoons Sonia Feldhoff
Drive Jules Schiller
Evenings Peter Goers
Nightlife Philip Clarke/Sarah McDonald
Weekends Deb Tribe
Perth
Early Breakfast Barry Nicholls
Breakfast Nadia Mitsopoulos/Russell Woolf
Mornings Jessica Strutt
Conversations Richard Fidler/Sarah Kanowski/Hamish McDonald
Afternoons Gillian O’Shaughnessy
Drive Geoff Hutchison
Nightlife Philip Clarke/Sarah McDonald
Saturday Breakfast Christine Layton
Canberra
Overnights Trevor Chappell/Rod Quinn
Breakfast Dan Bourchier
Mornings Adam Shirley
Conversations Richard Fidler/Sarah Kanowski/Hamish McDonald
Myf Warhurst Myf Warhurst
Afternoons Paula Kruger
Drive Anna Vidot
Evenings Chris Bath
Nightlife Philip Clarke/Sarah McDonald
Weekends Greg Bayliss/Lish Fejer
Darwin
Overnights Trevor Chappell/Rod Quinn
Breakfast Jo Laverty
Mornings Adam Steer
Conversations Richard Fidler/Sarah Kanowski/Hamish McDonald
Myf Warhurst Myf Warhurst
Afternoons Mikaela Simpson
Drive Georgia Hitch (until March)/Liz Trevaskis
Evenings Richard Margetson
Nightlife Philip Clarke/Sarah McDonald
Weekends Joel Spry (Saturdays)/Jess Ong (Sundays)