Rove and 2Day FM Breakfast

SCA officially announced to the market the signing of Rove McManus to head up breakfast on 2Day FM in 2016. We spoke to SCA Executive Director for Metro Operations, Guy Dobson.

When did they decide to draw a line in the sand with Dan & Maz and how did they take the news?

With 2Day FM “Hits and Old School” – where does Rove fit into that, the younger end or the older – are they going to shift their format? And does Guy think Rove can be Number 1?

Blair: When did you decide to draw a line in the sand with 2DAY FM breakfast?

Guy: We didn’t really have a line in the sand to say that’s the time when we are going to do it. If you look at the start of the year, it was all about starting narrower, looking at generation Y. Taking the music younger with 2Day in Sydney, to have a point of difference. But when you stray too far away from the brand you become ineffective.

When Hamish & Andy started we saw some really key perceptuals on 2Day and the audience make up, we also started a broader music format with Hits & old school.

So we went we’ve got the Drive show right, we have got the music right across the day– let’s have a look at where breakfast sits half way through the year.

Rove happened to fall out of the sky for us at the time and we thought let’s build a show around this bloke. This will give us a pretty well rounded show for Sydney.

Make no mistake – take nothing away from Dan & Maz, we are going to nurture them, we are going to look after them, it’s a great show.

Sydney breakfast needs a show with marque value, we could have persisted for four, five or six years to build them up … and it could be a good brand.. it was a long long road to hoe that one.

Blair: How did Dan and Maz take the news?

Guy: They are a great little team, they took the news as you would expect… but gallantly.

They tried this year to put their best foot forward in Sydney breakfast which is tough, it is one of the toughest markets in the world.

We love them as individuals and we love them as a show as well and we will bring them back at some stage to a very high profile position.

Blair: 2Day is “Hits and Old School” – where does Rove fit into that?  The Younger end or the older end – are you shifting 2Day FM?

Guy: Rove’s 41 – have a look at our figures around the country, the Hit Network is number 1 18 to 39 – we have found that with our brand and our network, we can target slightly older and get younger – that’s what we have been doing. We have worked out that we can’t be 18 to 24  and the show we are building around him will carry those as well. He sits really well with the Hamish & Andy psychographic.

In terms of our music mix, we are a Hit music station, let’s not  get that wrong, we are a Hit music station first and foremost. We just have a music point of difference with Old School and RnB Fridays.

We are being true to what 2Day FM is – we’ve got a great drive show, the whole Hit Network around Australia is number one 25 to 39  as a result of that format  and we are getting a breakfast show that is going to fit better.

 Blair: Can Rove be number 1?

Guy:  Let’s get the show on the air first. We don’t put any show On-air with the object of being number six. So I am going to say yes, I am going to say over time. He is a talented man, he has got a following and to answer your next question, yes he is based in Sydney.

Rove’s a 41 year old with a young disposition.

Blair: Have you worked out how many people are going to be part of the show?

Guy: We are not going to give too much away on that one Blair, we are looking at every angle.

Blair: The share equity deal is pretty sweet for Rove, and obviously has precedence with Hamish & Andy, is this going to be commonplace with big talent deals at SCA moving forward?

Guy: I am not going to comment on remuneration, it certainly was on the ASX release – it is what it is and read in to that what you like.

Look, I think it is nice to have talent that back themselves and has skin in the game. We improve, the station improves – I get remunerated. I think it is not a bad thing to have.

Blair: A starting date?

Guy: We will launch the show when we think it is right.