Pure Gold Network

He looks a right git.

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That voice over at the end sounds so wrong - Gold need to get Matt Berry to record those.

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I remember him being on air at Nova 106.9 in their early days and at B105 in the late 90s

How good is Matt Berry though? Bloody good actor, muso and iconic voiceover artist

(Yes I can hear you Clem Fandango)

Another hopeless Australian commercial radio TVC.

Lame premise with poor scripting and execution.

The voiceover is terrible, like a rushed financial disclaimer. End title shot is horrible.

Surely Christian was the subject of TVCs in the UK? They would have had better production values than this one? Why not continue those?

Ok, so those in Melbourne listening to Gold en route to Friday work, you’ve heard his show, what did you think?

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I heard maybe the last 45 minutes (of what was only around a 90 minute slot) - I think the chemistry between OC and Jack Post works really well, which is a really good first step. They did at least one caller break, and I’m convinced there aren’t enough staff in the ARN building to be able to fake all of them - at one point, Christian took a call from a woman who welcomed him to Melbourne, to which he replied “thanks Sue [Carter], we’ll see you after the show.”

That said, it certainly wasn’t the most polished radio show you’ll ever hear. As you mentioned, it’s baffling that a job posting for an EP position only went up this week, and I’m worried that ARN’s trend towards weaker producing teams will pull this show down.

I think Jase & PJ are suffering from this a bit in Melbourne - while the breakfast shift is in some ways a different beast to a national drive show, the New Zealand market allows for a bit more freedom that I think they’d thrive from, and certainly would help give their show a bit more meaning in a crowded market.

Ditto for OC & co., especially when Duncan will have to continually justify dumping a decently performing local show (albeit below the station average, as he’ll always point out) for a British presenter. Time will tell whether it’s a right fit, both for the station and for the Melbourne market, as well as whether ARN are willing to let a show like his (and at KIIS too) bed in over two or three years.

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Correct, the juniors on the Will and Woody team are not what you’d expect for a national show in a day shift. WS & KIIS bfast are staffed ok, some are, others are not.

Christian wouldn’t have come cheap, if ARN don’t invest in the staff surrounding him nor the external marketing, it’ll be unhappy days and he’ll return to the UK feeling poorly treated. Will be time for the ghost of the Pelaco building to sew a straightjacket and give Duncan the boot.

Personalities are themselves plus the eco system surrounding, the staff, the program elements. If some elements aren’t brought over, it’ll be an opportunity lost. If the staff are not to the level, it’ll bring it down. Christian will notice this too.

Surely ARN have made big promises, will they deliver? It doesn’t feel the same level of attention to detail as for the Sydney shows.

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Agreed. Their show sounds different than it was in NZ. More restricted in Melbourne and I don’t know why that is. Probably a few nerves when it comes to a new market etc but it’s still bedding in.

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I mean, sure but that’s not to say they’re genuinely searching for an EP for this show for the first time a week before it goes on air.

I’ve certainly seen jobs that have been advertised the day someone signed the contract to take it (not in radio, but I assume they’re no different).

And, to be fair, the OC & Jack Post combo is a pretty formidable content combo. They may not really need an EP that urgently…

Given what they’ve already assumedly spent to get him over, and on Jack Post, and how risky a move it is, i would imagine they’ll throw as much money as they need to at it to make sure it works.

Breakfast is a different beast though to drive. Fitzy & Wippa were a decent, funny, slightly edgy show on drive that became a safe as anything, run of the mill, background entertainment show on breakfast. There’s just more scrutiny, more pressure, and a tighter market.

I don’t know what you mean though, really. I never heard the show in NZ but they’re doing much more than any other Melbourne breakfast show has done in the past…,. decade probably.

Good or bad, at least they’re getting out there.

I think OC’s content is something the Gold audience will (come to) love. Might take them a bit to get there though.

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Nice ad. Good attention to detail. Light and bright and yet does have a little bit of an ‘exam feel’.

The joke is quite funny (albeit written by an Australian or at least someone who knows a little about the role of the sanger in Australian culture).

Ready for Melbourne! Great tagline. Not only is the show ready (as in new) but ready as in ‘ready-made’. Clever.

It’s the the attitude of the Australian based programmers who now call the shots. Different leaders, different result.

You would hope, but it’s Australian radio and stranger things have happened. Unfortunately.

I managed to catch about an hour of the Christian O’Connell show this morning (about 7:30-8:30).
I think the Radio Today article is bit harsh - although I wasn’t listening when the technical difficulties were happening.

Overall I think that Christian and Jack works well together. It actually has a very strong Hamish and Andy vibe to it. Obviously Jack is in a similar role, but Christian’s style and humour is similar also.

It was refreshing to hear a breakfast show that isn’t a bunch of people trying to be heard over the top of everyone else with flashy, dramatic production elements.

I’ll be tuning in again.

EDIT: It’s also worth noting that the EP Is Nick Daly who Christian’s brought with him from the UK.

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I’d stopped listening to breakfast radio for years - but decided to switch my alarm over to be the radio and have a listen - I quite enjoyed it - I might even move my alarm earlier to listen to more of it.

Certainly liked the style - it’s not Eddie shouting at me, which is what turned me off from previously listening to Triple M - and the music mix was quite good.

Was glad I gave it a chance, as the show never really grabbed me when streaming Absolute Radio.

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I listened to the podcast this afternoon - was pretty good, but he can’t drag the whole “I’m new to Australia/Melbourne” schtick out for too long, doubt it will resonate beyond a few weeks

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I love the way we make sweeping assumptions based on one show :wink:

Listened to the podcast. Quite funny. Heard a bit of him in the UK and enjoyed him there.

Heard some this morning, terribly inoffensive gentle talk. Should do fine on Gold with the music mix which was better than what they usually play.

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New weekday schedule at Gold 104.3 effective Monday - Whippy moves into the afternoon shift, after previously filling in on breakfast.

06:00-10:00 The Christian O’Connell Breakfast Show
10:00-13:00 Craig Huggins
13:00-16:00 Brendon ‘Whippy’ Dangar
16:00-19:00 Gavin Miller

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Curious to know, who was/is on air at Christian’s UK station, Absolute prior to his show? Middawns or early breakfast/warm up shift?

From the looks of things, Absolute run a 12-4am mid-dawn shift and a 4-6am ‘early breakfast’ shift, although from today’s schedule it appears the one jock covers the whole 6 hours.

Most of the UK’s national/quasi-national brands are live or voicetracked overnights. Global’s Radio X is, while Wireless Group’s current incarnation of Virgin Radio knocks off at 11pm.

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