What’s with the Duclos hate, tbh I have felt irritated by her too for reasons I can’t articulate
Where is the discussion here that Sally rope has announced on air that she won’t be on weekend breakfast on 612 and Spencer Howson will be replacing her.
Sally seems quite relaxed about it. She must have another gig and many people have been waiting to hear the return of Spencer Howson is more permanent.
Many are hoping that he will return to the breakfast slot as the current duo don’t impress many people.
3 Likes
Has the ABC stopped having the pre-recorded local weather at the end of the news overnight?
I caught the news one night last week (may have been the midnight bulletin) and they had no weather.
ABC are hopeless about this. Always works for NSW and Vic rarely for Qld and SA et al.
As much as we know Nine are hopeless with talk radio, they do manage local weather after national bulletins.
1 Like
ABC announces Isabella Higgins as AM presenter
Isabella Higgins has been named as the new presenter of ABC audio current affairs flagship AM, with listeners hearing the news this morning.
The senior journalist and proud Torres Strait Islander woman joined the ABC in 2014 and has worked as a metropolitan and regional news reporter, as National Indigenous Affairs Correspondent, Europe Correspondent and National Social Affairs Reporter. She was also a senior reporter on the Voice referendum.
Each morning AM s ets the day’s agenda with the latest stories and developments and interviews with political leaders and other newsmakers.
Higgins takes over at the program from Sabra Lane, who announced in December she was leaving the role after nine years.
Isabella Higgins: "It’s an absolute privilege to take on this role at AM , a program with such a strong legacy and loyal audience.
"I still recall my joy at getting my very first story on AM as a young reporter and can’t quite believe I’ll be taking on the role of host. Sabra Lane and all the other past hosts leave enormous shoes to fill.
"I’m looking forward to working with the top-class team who make the show happen and ensure it’s essential, high-impact listening each day.”
Director, News Justin Stevens: “Throughout its almost 60 years on air AM has been integral in setting the nation’s daily news agenda and interrogating the decision-makers. Isabella is an outstanding journalist and will be a superb anchor of AM .
“I’d also like to pay tribute to Sabra Lane for her formidable work with the program over almost a decade. We look forward to her taking on a new role with the ABC after she returns from well-earned long service leave.”
Isabella Higgins
Isabella has spent the last year working as the ABC’s National Social Affairs Reporter. From 2021 to 2024 she was the ABC’s Europe Correspondent, based in London, reporting on stories including four British Prime Ministers, the pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the war in the Middle East and the 2024 US Presidential election. She also added her powerful reporting and expertise to cover the Voice referendum.
Isabella began her ABC career working in regional and state newsrooms. In 2019 her reporting on suicide rates in Indigenous communities was nominated for multiple awards and saw her receive a Walkey Foundation Young Journalist Award.
3 Likes
I find it’s sporadic, sometimes it’s a national forecast sometimes it’s a regional only forecast.
Also noticed lately that they seem to have issues switching from the news feed overnight and therefore you’ll hear the start of the news radio weather theme before abruptly cutting over to Nightlife. Even the presenters on Radio Melbourne seem to have a hard time and tend to get cut off by the news.
Quite a few changes to ABC Darwin’s line-up this year:
Jess Ong is now presenting Breakfast, replacing Adam Steer - program also now starts at 5:30am instead of 6:15am
Lara Stimpson is now presenting Mornings, replacing Rick Hind - program also now starts at 8:30am instead of 9am
Liz Trevaskis is now presenting Afternoons, replacing Jess Ong
Adam Steer is now presenting Drive, replacing Liz Trevaskis
Amelia Searson is now presenting Saturday Breakfast, replacing Lyrella Couzens
David Garnham is now presenting Sunday Mornings, replacing Lyrella Couzens
1 Like
Is Lyrella Couzens hosting any shows after she loses both weekend timeslots?
She’s not hosting any show’s at the moment
Lyrella is on leave for the first half of the year. Their line-up announcement posted in December on Facebook says she’ll be back in July.
1 Like
ABC local radio (QLD) was off for a while after 11 pm when the apology message started but then the program cut back in.
ABC Radio Gold Coast welcomes Trevor Jackson back to the microphone
ABC Gold Coast has announced Trevor Jackson will be returning to the national broadcaster as the host of Breakfast in 2026.
An experienced, award-winning journalist and broadcaster, Trevor’s career at the ABC stretches back more than 20 years. He has covered news and emergency broadcasting, hosted the in-depth interview series Conversations and previously held the role of ABC Gold Coast’s Content and Music Director. He will be returning to the ABC microphone each weekday from 5am to 8am.
“Mayor Tom Tate reckons there’s two types of Australians - those who live on the Gold Coast and those that wish they did,” said Trevor. “Having lived here for 20 years I couldn’t agree more! I’m incredibly excited to have the opportunity to tap into everything that’s happening across the Gold Coast as it comes to life each weekday morning.
“The Gold Coast is one of the most fascinating and dynamic young cities in the world. I really want to get to the heart of who we are and why we live here with local stories to keep our listeners informed and entertained. There’ll be no shortage of banging good brekky tunes and plenty of laughs, so Gold Coasters can start their day with a smile on their dial. Bring it on!”
Current Breakfast incumbent Nicole Dyer will be trading six years of early morning starts to take up the microphone for Mornings, broadcast Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 11am.
“I’ve loved every minute of hosting breakfast on ABC Gold Coast for the past six years,” said Nicole. “My early morning listeners have entertained and inspired me through good and sometimes challenging times. It was not an easy decision to leave Breakfast, but I’m looking forward to switching it up on Mornings and sleeping in a little later each day.”
Her first Mornings broadcast will be on Thursday 29 January.
The ABC Gold Coast line-up for 2026 will be completed with Bern Young on Drive from 3pm to 6pm and Tom Forbes at the helm for Saturday Breakfast.
Audiences can look forward to hearing all ABC Gold Coast teams on the air from 2 February.
# Progressive restoration of ABC Radio services underway in Bendigo region
ABC Radio services in the Bendigo region will begin returning to air from today, with a staged restoration plan now in place following disruptions caused by fire to transmission infrastructure at Mt Alexander.
Broadcast network provider BAI Communications has advised the ABC that all four radio services; triple j, ABC Local Radio, ABC News Radio and ABC Classic, will progressively come back online between Friday afternoon and Sunday.
triple j has been prioritised for early restoration beginning today from mid-afternoon to ensure local listeners can enjoy one of the biggest music moments of the year with the triple j Hottest 100 this weekend.
ABC Chief Digital & Information Officer Damian Cronan said the restoration milestone was an important step in reconnecting regional audiences.
"We know how important radio is to the Bendigo community for staying informed and connected, and in the case of this weekend to celebrate a major cultural moment with the Hottest 100.
“Our teams and BAI have been working around the clock installing and testing new equipment, and we’re pleased to say listeners will start hearing services return from mid-afternoon starting with triple j,” he said.
Coverage during this initial restoration phase will reach around 75 per cent of the population normally served by the Bendigo transmitter. Earlier concerns about potential gaps in key areas such as Echuca have been resolved, as these communities receive strong coverage from the Shepparton transmitter.
To help further extend reach while full network capacity is restored, the ABC will prioritise Bendigo Local Radio using a mobile antenna. Complete coverage is expected to take several weeks as permanent infrastructure is reconnected and tested.
“This is the first major step in bringing all services fully back online, and we appreciate the patience the community has shown,” Mr Cronan said.
“We’ll continue to update audiences as coverage expands and the network returns to normal.”
Restoration schedule
Friday: triple j restored first, ahead of the Hottest 100
Saturday / Sunday: ABC Local Radio, ABC Classic, ABC News Radio restored progressively
Approx. 75% of normal coverage initially, with reach expanding as works continue.
Toss-up whether to post this here or in the triple j thread.
Somewhat contradictory information on Echuca in particular, the press release cites good coverage from Shepparton transmitters (which is true enough), but on ABC’s reception site, it notes a temporary transmitter running in Echuca locally on 105.7. Not mentioned but there is also a temporary JJJ license from the same site.
On a side note, have the ABC forgotten how to update the ‘coverage and faults’ column on the reception page? It always reports normal reception despite the swathe of fault banners at the top of the page.
1 Like
Neither, it’s already been posted and discussed here: Broadcast Facilities - #3085 by TV.Cynic
1 Like
Surprised they don’t mention 97.7 ABC Goulburn Murray, given they think triple j from the same site is good enough in Echuca.
2 Likes
Isabella Higgins will be heading off onto maternity leave in March - the ABC is currently conducting an internal search for a temporary presenter.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/abc-gets-all-defensive-about-its-stars-boycotting-adelaides-disastrous-writers-week/news-story/644adab01c66090b25b21719b25c80f4
The Australian has also forgotten that the show also airs on ABC Local Radio
Of course, it might be handy if potential presenters also have a few friends who can listen into the show, given RN attracted only between 1.1 per cent and 1.5 per cent of the available audience across the capital city markets in the latest radio ratings report.
1 Like
And interesting choice of frequency given Triple M Albury…
1 Like
Why on earth did they appoint Isabella to host AM if they knew she was going to be on maternity leave for who knows how long? And yes, The Australian’s media section gets it wrong about the ABC. Happening a lot with Jackson writing now.