Thirteen hosts have come and gone over the past seven years – with a music-only format even thrown into the mix – but so far nothing has flipped 2Day FM's breakfast fortunes.
The station has been at the bottom of Sydney's FM breakfast market ever since Kyle Sandilands and Jackie "O" Henderson famously defected to KIIS in 2014. Now, comedian Dave Hughes has decided to take on what many consider to be the radio industry's poisoned chalice. And to top it off, he's trying to relocate from Melbourne to Sydney during a pandemic.
Does Hughes feel he has bitten off more than he can chew? "Absolutely," he admits. "But I love radio. And I really want to live in Sydney. When the network has gone, 'We've got long-term faith in you …' you're crazy not to do it."
The new 2Day FM breakfast radio team hopes to make a dent in Kyle and Jackie O’s ratings. From left, Ed Kavalee, Dave Hughes and Erin Molan. Credit:2Day FM
Longevity is not a word that has been associated with 2Day FM's breakfast show for some time. Since Kyle and Jackie O left due to a contract dispute, the station's early-morning program has been a revolving door of presenters including, among others, Maz Compton, Rove McManus, Sam Frost, Em Rusciano, Ash London and Grant Denyer. In August 2019, the station did away with a traditional talk-based program altogether in favour of a cheaper music format.
In the final radio survey of 2020, 2Day FM netted a 4.2 per cent share of Sydney's breakfast market. In comparison, The Kyle and Jackie O Show – the city's top-rating FM breakfast program – recorded an audience share of 11.3 per cent. This was higher than ABC Radio Sydney (10.5 per cent) and only bested by 2GB's Ben Fordham (17.1 per cent). Nine, the owner of talkback station 2GB, is also the owner of this masthead.
But Hughes remains characteristically upbeat. After all, this is the man who once wore a nappy on stage because he didn’t want to cancel a gig even though he had gastro.
"The past is the past," Hughes says of 2Day FM's ratings woes. "It's not going to be an overnight [success] but I'm going to enjoy every day."
The comedian also stresses that he doesn't see himself as 2Day FM's secret weapon against Kyle and Jackie, despite a national profile and decades of radio experience. He has no interest in a bitter rivalry and just wants to have fun.
"There's so much quality radio in Sydney," Hughes says. "Life is utterly ridiculous and to be able to reflect that on a daily basis to an audience is an absolute gift.
"I'm also friends with Kyle and Jackie O. I work with Jackie on The Masked Singer and I've had Kyle on my TV show and he had a ball. They're good people … I'll be catching up with them when I'm up there."
Southern Cross Austereo's chief content officer Dave Cameron is also adamant 2Day FM will run its own race.
"I don't have any intention of stealing Kyle and Jackie O listeners," he says. "That's a great show and always has been. We'd be crazy trying to deliver something that's already being delivered in the Sydney market.
"I think this [new show] delivers perfectly to mums with kids in cars that want a laugh. It's not going to be as edgy as Kyle and Jackie O. But it's not going to be beige, either. It's the perfect choice for us to get 2Day back in the game. I'm not silly enough to put a specific number on it … but I hope to see growth in the first 12 months."
While Cameron wouldn't divulge the specifics of Hughes' contract, he stressed it was a "long-term deal" – which in radio speak means more than two years.
2Day FM's new breakfast show will be called The Morning Crew. The program will be fronted by Hughes, his recent drive co-host Ed Kavalee and sports broadcaster Erin Molan. While Molan is Sydney-based, both Hughes and Kavalee live in Melbourne. Both plan to relocate.
"As soon as the border reopens, I'll be up in Sydney looking for a house, and the family will move up in due course," Hughes says.
"Whenever I've gone to Sydney I've gone, why the f— haven't I lived here? It's a big commitment. But we're excited."
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