Behind-the-scenes staff at 4BC will be hauled into meetings early this week, forced to “make their case” as to why they should keep their jobs.
It comes as an increasing number of media observers are saying that the wrong people are paying the price for serial bad decision-making by Sydney-based management.
The sacking of Breakfast team Dean Miller and Sofie Formica on Thursday and the replacement of the Afternoons show with a program networked from Sydney will mean the loss of as many as six people hired as producers or studio panel operators. People in those positions have reportedly been told they will have to show cause why they should keep their jobs in meetings with managers on Monday and Tuesday.
It’s a lousy way to run a business, even in an industry where job security is very poor, and none of those people will be having a particularly happy weekend. But, apparently, not all of them are passively accepting their fate.
According to a source quoted by The Courier-Mail’s Mike Gambaro …
…Tapt Media’s National Head of Content Greg Byrnes told staff listeners would have forgotten about the breakfast axings by Tuesday.
One senior producer reportedly fired back: “You have no idea what the Brisbane audience wants.”
Byrnes and his boss, Tom Malone, have overseen change after change at 4BC with the only result being ever-lower ratings. The station has been bleeding listeners.
One person familiar with operations at the former Nine Radio, now Tapt Media, said the manner of the latest sackings was nothing new, but that letting Formica and Miller go after just a few months on air defied common industry practice of giving a new show sufficient time to bed in.
“It’s very hard for an audience to hang around if they don’t know who the hosts are going to be each month,” the source said — adding that the rule-of-thumb used to be to allow a new program two years.
When Jason Matthews fronts the microphone at 5.30am on Monday, 4BC will have had six different Breakfast shows in the past six years, not counting fill-in presenters.
It’s been a transition from Alan Jones (networked) to Neil Breen; Laurel Edwards, Gary Clare and Mark Hine; Peter Fegan; and Sofie and Dean.
Paul Burt also got the chop last week, and many others have come and gone from the 4BC daytime roster in recent years, including media veterans Scott Emerson and Bill McDonald, and countless fill-in and casual hosts.
These latest changes, which also see Gary Hardgrave move from Drive to Mornings and Carla Bignasca go from Afternoons to Drive, are only said to be temporary until the end of the year, with 4BC carrying out auditions for future line-up changes.
One potential Breakfast star is said to be the multi-talented Mike Goldman, who told Gambaro that he wasn’t ready to move into talk radio, despite some recent appearances on air with Hardgrave.
“I’m a rock jock,” he’s quoted as saying. “I’m not angry enough with Anthony Albanese to host talkback breakfast yet.”
As I said in a previous post, any changes at 4BC need to be well thought through — back by solid research, with every possibility, including a complete change of format, put on the table.
Meanwhile, I’m hearing whispers of more bombshell revelations to come as a “lot of people” are talking to various media outlets about the situation at 4BC and Tapt Media more generally.
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Garden guru’s new gig
Arno King, who was the Sunday mornings gardening expert on 4BC’s former Weekend Breakfast show (which I once produced), has popped up on 612 ABC Brisbane.
If you missed him with Mel Bampton on Saturday, you can listen to the show here.
I understand the ABC will be using a roster of garden experts, but it’s great to hear a familiar and knowledgeable voice and know Arno is part of the mix.
©2026 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 and Mastodon, @brettdebritz on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and BlueSky, and @radiobert on YouTube. Links provided as a courtesy; I take no responsibility for their contents or give any warranty of their veracity. AI image.
Disclaimer: Brett Debritz used to work at 4BC and has written about radio for the past 30+ years. It’s all happening…
garden listeners will follow local garden talent and leave 4BC. Congrats to ABC for grabbing the talent and expertise of Arno King.
I have to say the Sydney show, listening to complaining about the price of chicken salt in a Sydney Pub was thrilling. I can see how it’s really going to boost the ratings. I was so bored I changed to something else. Honestly? This is the best they could do?