2GB really need Hadley back. They’re losing listeners to 2SM’s Chris Smith over Mark Levy.
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Mark Levy simply steps aside just because Ray Hadley returns? Would be interesting to see how that plays out.
To be fair, Levy only got the gig because he was the most similar to Hadley & would minimise the churning of the 2GB audience.
Unlike at SRN, where they enhanced their Mornings with Chris Smith, rather than simply “replicate” the programme that Laws had.
So why would anyone want the B-Team if the A-Team returned?
Chris Smith, at least, is delivering a completely different style Mornings show to the late John Laws.
It’s just a shame the late great John Laws won’t be around to hassle Hadley to “give it up” just like Hadley did when Laws came out of retirement.
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It’ll also be interesting to see what happens with newsrooms.
Given 9 radio leverage off existing tv reports/reporters in many cases will there be an agreement where 9 continue to provide that content.
It’d be wonderful to see an independent MRN newsroom once again.
Another thing to consider - would Singo give Hadley Mornings? Or 2GB Breakfast?
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You wonder if they give Hadley breakfast, does that free up Ben Fordham to potentially replace Karl on Today.
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I don’t really see how selling this off and it becoming an independent talk radio network again actually helps anyone. There will be no money in an independent radio network with no diversified advertising offerings. They’re AM talk stations with an old demographic being bought out by two fossils. Sounds ridiculous.
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Ridiculous = reality. Nine’s revenue for the Talk network has been terrible. Nine’s sales model for Talk radio was based on the TV model which proved a disaster. They have only recently changed that. Too late.
Anyway, Nine want to buy an FM network so they are keen to divest themselves of the AM stations.
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I’d say mornings. Given he’s 71 who knows how long he wants to work, with Fordham you’ve got someone who could be in that timeslot long term.
With mornings that could also be networked into 4BC like they did previously and Hadley is well known to that audience.
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It allows Nine to invest in other radio (if they desire)
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How would all this affect the likes of AFL/NRL and Olympics rights, considering the crossover with TV contracts etc?
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And clearly Nine don’t have a great strategic plan for talk radio. Having talk stations owned and run by someone with a history of success in the format is probably a good thing for the stations.
That said, whether Singo can reverse the fortunes of 4BC and 6PR is yet to be seen. Singo will have a plan and, while I claim no insight into it, I won’t be surprised if 4BC goes back to being almost 24/7 2GB as that did perform better than what Nine are doing there. The resources freed up at 4BC could be invested in fixing 6PR.
Hopefully across the board the newsrooms get a funding boost. I have no issue with national news overnight, but the very obvious prerecording of it where bulletins are repeated every two hours, with nobody able to update for major breaking news, is an insult to the audience and I would argue an insult to the newsreader who gets to sound out-of-date too.
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It kind of shows that Nine has dropped the ball in being able to integrate all parts of their business more effectively, too - they’ve kind of squandered the advantage they had by having decently high-performing assets across all three major media types (print, television, radio)
The question needs to be asked, too, about how much life is left in talk radio, especially as it feels like the power of the medium has waned significantly in the last decade. It heavily skews older (and probably beyond the demographic targets Nine is interested in), and we’ve seen that it’s heavily impacted by particular individuals on-air (the talk of the likes of Hadley, Price, and Mitchell returning under new ownership shouts this loudly)
I’d imagine they’ll be sub-licenced to the new operator
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More changes at 4BC with Peter Psaltis announcing he’s leaving WWOS to focus on his TV commentating.
Of course, no one will know if that is the proper reason - but let’s see if WWOS Brisbane comes from Sydney in 2026.
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From the Australian:
Over the weekend, some media outlets claimed a verbal agreement was reached a fortnight ago between Nine Radio and the consortium led by Mr Singleton. It was speculated that Mr Singleton is willing to table an offer of $25m-$30m.
But well-placed sources have told The Australian that Nine has no verbal agreement with Mr Singleton or any other interested parties in relation to the potential sale.
“The strategic review of Nine’s audio assets continues to progress,” a Nine spokesman said on Sunday.
Mr Singleton did not respond to questions from The Australian.
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God no. He’s dreadful when commentating Australian Open tennis. Ugh.
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Maybe SRN can buy 2gb and sell off 2ue. 
I’d like to hear 2sm as a music station like 2RE. Won’t happen.
Fascinating times with the speculation of the Macquarie radio network coming back (potentially) . Assuming it goes ahead, hope they leave 2ue as is. I didn’t like how they gutted it and we lost the talk station. Happy at least 2ue plays classic hits to fill in the 2ch gap. In my opinion better music than 2ch.
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Just wait for Singo to buy it all back and make GB and AW back into the powerhouses they should be.
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Courier Mail excerpt
Veteran 4BC host Peter Psaltis quits radio after nearly three decades
A Brisbane radio star will swap his microphone for more time on television, marking the fourth major voice departing the airwaves in one month.
Peter ‘Salty’ Psaltis said he it was a tough call to step away from radio after nearly three decades behind the mic, but one he was “very comfortable with”.
Mr Psaltis’ last show will take place on December 4.
Speaking of his decision to step away after 29 years on radio, he said it he will continue to cover major sporting events on TV, including the Summer of Tennis, Winter Olympics, NRL and the NRWL.
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I doubt very much that would happen. Traditional media is dying even radio that isn’t going to change. Doesn’t help that under Singleton they will be even more Liberal biased as they are now which is not doing them any favours with younger listeners.
Nine have integrated radio fairly well into the wider media organisation but there is more to do as there are quite a few duplications happening with some reporters not being utilised across both TV and radio.