Back to two Brisbanes

How selling my car will change my life — again! Plus some radio news and views.

Nearly four years ago, I wrote this under the heading of Tale of Two Cities:

… it occurred to me that there are two Brisbanes — the one that’s easily accessible by rail or bus, and the one that you really have to have a car to visit. Those who live without wheels of their own, or somebody to drive them around, miss out on a lot. Too often we go from A to B using the most direct route. We travel the highways, but not the byways. Yet so much of the city is hidden in little suburban pockets, in dead-end streets and in out-of-the-way places.

Well, as of today, I’m back in the world of the wheelless.

I sold my car. Yes, my nifty red Suzuki Swift has gone to the great car dealership in the sky (actually, it’s on Wynnum Road, and I’m sure it will be fine under new ownership).

After wrestling with the idea for a long time, I decided it was foolish to pay registration, insurance and maintenance fees for a vehicle that I drove only once a week. And, of course, the longer I waited to sell, the less money it would’ve fetched,

It was a sensible decision if not an easy one. There’s a lot of sentiment involved in car ownership. Getting a licence and a first car is seen as a rite of passage into adulthood. I may never own a car again, and that could be seen as me entering another, final, stage of life.

In fact, when I was sitting in the car dealer’s office while all the paperwork was being done, I had a sense of foreboding, like being in a dentist’s waiting room.

On a practical front, it means I’m back to seeing my hometown and the world not as locals see it, but a little more as tourists do — on foot or in a public vehicle driven by somebody else.

I’ll take the train or bus when I need to, or a taxi or Uber if I have to. And, unless my habits change dramatically, I’ll end up spending less than I did on a car I almost never drove.

Before I end this chapter, here’s a video I made during a sentimental trip to the car wash yesterday:

RADIO REPORT …

An update on a news story broken here. Former 4BC content director Max Dudley has taken on a new position as accounts director at SEC Newgate. Congratulations to him.

Meanwhile, the second radio ratings survey for the year is due out next week (on Thursday, 18 April). My feeling is that these numbers will play a significant role in the future direction of several stations, including 4BC and ABC Brisbane.

Having said that, I think 4BC has already started to show its cards by making music director Brent James — the best in the biz when it comes to classic hits — redundant, and trialling the double act of Sofie Formica and Peter Fegan in breakfast over the recent non-ratings period. And if the ABC doesn’t get a significant uptick, surely change must follow.

The other thing to watch in the world of radio is the apparently back-on-track deal under which ARN will take over the Triple M stations from Southern Cross Austereo, while keeping its KIIS franchise. SCA’s Hit stations (including B105) will be merged into a new entity alongside ARN’s Gold stations.

This month also sees the debut of KIIS Sydney’s Kyle and Jackie O Show in the Melbourne market. Success there will almost certainly see the breakfast show go national eventually.

Disclosure: I once worked as a producer for 4BC and recently spent half a day at the ABC.

©2024 Brett Debritz. If I’ve inadvertently used copyrighted material, failed to give credit where it’s due, written or said something you disagree with, or otherwise upset or unexpectedly delighted you, please leave a comment, email me or connect with me at @debritz on X or @brettdebritz on Threads and Instagram. I also have an experimental YouTube site, @radiobert. Links are provided as a courtesy; I take no responsibility for their contents or give any warranty of their veracity. Illustration: Bing Image Creator