Peter Gleeson goes to the dogs
Plus: What's the last thing an embattled radio show needs?
Following all the media attention on Monday, 4BC’s Laurel, Gary and Mark breakfast show got off to a terrible start around 5.30am on Tuesday when, it would seem, the equipment failed.
When guest co-host Sofie Formica asked whether Mark Hine had slapped the panel on the side to get it started, Gary Clare made a very ill-conceived “joke” that fell very flat. Listen here:
Formica shut him down quickly, but it was not a good listen, and it did the show no favours — particularly when the station is participating in an anti-domestic violence campaign titled “Stop it at the Start”.
If we charitably call that a lapse in judgement, then how to describe what’s happening on a regular basis at KIIS’s Kyle and Jackie O Show in Sydney (and Melbourne, and soon quite probably, Brisbane)?
The ABC’s Media Watch host Paul Barry didn’t mince words on Monday night’s show (language warning).
My 10-cents worth here: how can Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (who was a guest at Kyle Sandilands’ wedding, although I wouldn’t go so far as to say they were mates) talk about banning youngsters from using social media when kids can listen to this kind of stuff on free-to-air radio during the morning school run?
As someone (and I’m sorry I don’t recall who) suggested on social media, perhaps the Sandilands and O show should be taken off the FM and DAB+ airwaves and be made available somehow on a subscription-only basis. The precedent here would be American shock jock Howard Stern who took his show to satellite radio when it got too hot for the regular airwaves.
In any case, while I’m in favour of free speech, I believe there’s a time and place for everything. If adults want smut, they can pay for it.
Back to 4BC … the resignation of newsreader Steve Barker has caused some further waves, with suggestion others will follow, either voluntary or otherwise.
One of rumours doing the rounds — that Peter Gleeson will be promoted to the Mornings shift to become “Brisbane’s Ray Hadley” — is definitely not right.
Gleeson, a long-time fan greyhound punter, will take the reins of the new dogs complex at Purga, near Ipswich.
The Greyhound Recorder reports:
Media identity Peter Gleeson has been handed the reins of Queensland greyhound racing's state-of-the-art ‘The Q' greyhound complex at Purga.
Gleeson will assume the role as Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Brisbane Greyhound Club (GBGC) which will oversee racing at the three-track $85 million facility.
The GBGC was formed following the amalgamation of the Brisbane Greyhound Club and Ipswich Greyhound Club which currently conduct racing at Albion Park and Ipswich respectively.
Update, Sep 11: Gleeson’s last show will be on Friday the 13th. Gary Hardgrave (whose name has been bandied about in discussions about line-up changes) will helm the show over the holiday break, with an announcement about a permanent replacement yet to be made.
So, what next for those left at 4BC?
Of course, station owner Nine Radio has many options, including the “nuclear” one of fully or partially shutting the station down in favour of networking from Sydney. (Which would, as I’ve said before, be a failure of management, not the people working hard to succeed on a local level when they are answering to big bosses who know nothing of the Brisbane market.)
Apparently, consultants have been brought in. That’s never a good sign in my experience. It usually just means there’s somebody outside the organisation to blame if and when things go pear-shaped (again).
Then again, maybe this time they did talk to somebody who knows Brisbane — perhaps even lives here — and can point them in a better direction.
P.S.
Thank you to reader Susie of Teneriffe for alerting me (via an intermediary) that I had mistakenly written in my previous missive that Luke Bradnam had a twin brother called Luke. That would be weird. His real name is Ash. The error was quickly corrected for the version now online.