Kevin Hillier celebrates 50 years in radio

I’ll be honest and say I had reservations when it came to writing a story about my own husband for Radio Today, for obvious reasons.

But then I thought: Who better to write about Kevin Hillier notching up 50 years in radio than the person who’s shared a good chunk of the journey with him for the past 25?

Besides, I know where he keeps his old radio photos.

Kevin was just sixteen when he landed in Longreach, Queensland, ready to begin his outback radio adventure as a young announcer at 4LG.

As he emerged from the Fokker Friendship turbo prop, he remembers two things: The heat. And the flies.

His radio journey started at the age of twelve, when he set up his own station in his childhood bedroom.

“My folks helped me buy a small stereo and I got a reel to reel tape machine from somewhere and I bought singles and albums, as I could scrape the money together working in the family service stations.”

“I taped the rest from 4IP and 4BH.”

As he presented shows from his bedroom, his mum would listen from the kitchen.

Next came Air TV’s radio school in Brisbane.

“It opened my eyes to what radio was actually all about – writing ads, news, production.”

After sending out tapes, he was excited beyond belief when 4IP – then the big rock station in Brisbane – got in touch and asked him to come in for a chat.

“When they offered me a job and Sir Frank Moore told me I had a big future in the Color Radio network, my sixteen year old head was spinning,” Kevin remembers.

It was spinning so much, in fact, that he missed the part about being sent to Longreach.

It ended up being one of the most enjoyable experiences of his life.

Later came 4IP mid dawns, nights, Drive and then Breakfast.

Then, at the end of 1981, Kevin was invited to join Melbourne’s 3XY.

He arrived in Melbourne on the Australia Day weekend of 1982 and headed straight to 3XY to learn the panel and talk to his new boss, Greg Smith.

“While I am playing on the panel, he comes in and – as only Greg could do – says ‘Hillier, come on. We’re going to the Bowl. I’ve got a job for you.’”

“As we leave, he throws me a green and gold t-shirt and says ‘Put this on.’”

“Ten minutes later, I’m backstage at the Myer Music Bowl for the Mushroom Evolution 10th Anniversary Concert, about to go on stage to introduce one of the bands.”

“After a breathless ‘Hi everyone, I’m Kevin Hillier from 3XY, please welcome …’ (I can’t remember who it was, it is all a blur), I did mid dawn that night and Drive the next day. Another chapter was beginning.”

Kevin says getting to host Rocksat – Australia’s first nationally syndicated call-in music show – was mind blowing.

“We did 199 episodes. We did things like premiering John Farnham’s Chain Reaction album live from Armstrong studios with John and the band. We had hook ups with studios in London, LA and other parts of the US, all live, so when Mike Rutherford (Mike & the Mechanics/Genesis) got stuck in London traffic, I had no guest for 20 minutes.”

“We had Elton John, Phil Collins, Bowie, Barnesy (first show) Paul Kelly, Cheap Trick, George Thorogood, everyone we could get our hands on. Live callers from all over the country getting to talk to their favourite stars. It was very cool.”

Kevin went on to anchor the hugely successful Fox FM Morning Crew.

At that time, Fox was based at Channel Ten’s Nunawading studios, which made for some interesting surrounds in the ‘80s.

“I parked as close to Lassiter’s pool on the Neighbours set as you could. Then as I walked to the rear entrance of the building where Fox was, I passed the loading bay for Wentworth Detention Centre (on the old set of Prisoner). It was always amusing.”

In the late 80s, Kevin was poached by Triple M and paired up with The D Generation team comprising Rob Sitch, Mick Molloy, Tony Martin, Jane Kennedy, Tom Gleisner, Santo Cilauro and Jason Stephens.

“We were winning breakfast at Fox and Ian Grace (network PD at Triple M) needed two things. One: to beat Fox and two: to find a way to keep the D Gen on air because they were keen to do television.”

“He made me an offer or two to join Triple M. At the same time Denis O’Kane was talking to me about  creating a team and joining 3AW Breakfast.”

“In the end, the lure of working with the D Gen (and the fact Rocksat was going to be moving as well) plus a decent pay packet swayed me.”

Kevin believes that part of the reason the show worked was because he never considered himself a member of the D Gen.

“Neither party wanted that. I was the radio bloke and they were funny. It was not an overnight success, but it hit number one and stayed there ‘til they left to do The Late Show and other things called movies.”

In the years since, Kevin has gone on to work at sport stations SEN and RSN and currently hosts The Sideline View on Geelong’s 93.9 Bay FM, which he says came completely out of left field.

“It’s everything from local fishing to netball, soccer and of course the very vibrant and parochial Aussie Rules culture that drives the city of Geelong.”

Kevin is also heavily involved in podcasting, with a stable of shows including Life Of Brian, Food Bytes and Ruck ’n Roll.

He says while podcasting was something of a dirty word a few years ago, especially among radio people, that’s not the case now, as the industry embraces the extra possibilities it brings to the table.

“Radio has always adapted to changes from all other competitors and survived.”

“I think many radio operators have embraced podcasting as an extension of their radio content and that is healthy now, but I see more and more corporatisation of podcasts bastardising the product and that is not healthy.”

Kevin has precious little tolerance for the inflated egos and power trips commonly associated with radio.

I remind Kevin of a recent interview he did with 3AW’s Tony Moclair, where he talked about the importance of being a decent human being:

“You treat people well because you want to be treated well yourself. It’s as simple as that.”

Kevin is the first to admit he’s far from perfect.

“I look back and know that I have been the bully and the bullied, the ignored and the ignorer, the smartarse and the butt of the joke.”

He says blind ambition, perfectionism and self- importance are not validations for treating people badly.

“I think I have been mostly decent to people during my career but there were moments I am sure where others remember it differently.”

“It is disappointing that it still goes on today.”

Looking back, Kevin is happy with what he’s achieved, but says he’s always striving to be better:

“It has always been about the quality of work for me. The money has been both fantastic and pitiful. That little bit of fame and notoriety is good for upgrades on planes or a few freebies here and there.”

One thing he’s truly grateful for, is that his time in radio was not as ‘visual’ as it is now.

“I could go to the supermarket when I was the number one breakfast announcer in Melbourne and be as anonymous as the truck driver standing at the checkout next to me who was also getting bread, milk and ice cream.”

Someone who has known Kevin a lot longer than I have is Brisbane radio legend and close mate Ian Skippen, who tells Radio Today about their long standing connection:

“A lot of people wouldn’t be aware, but Kevin Hillier was a demon opening fast bowler for Everton District Junior Cricket Club, while serving up other deliveries on breakfast at Brisbane’s 4IP.  I know this as I was the opening batsman in the side as well as a radio competitor at Brisbane’s 4KQ.”

“It was early 80s when we formed a partnership that has endured to this time. Kevin moved to Melbourne and that was the end of our cricket team. Captain out, all out.”

“Kev is responsible for a big chunk of my career. We kept contact and I followed, with a degree of envy, his moves in Melbourne radio.”

“When Greg Smith reached out to me when Austereo bought Brisbane’s 4BK and asked me to join them to do mornings, I said yes, but only would jump ship if I could ‘do a Kev’ with a Morning Crew.”

“What followed was 16 years with the record busting B105 Morning Crew. What a ride. Thanks Kev.”

“Kevin from day dot has been fuelled by an amazing passion for his craft. He has taken the body blows that the industry can occasionally deliver.”

“Kev, congratulations on maintaining the rage for 50 years. You have professionalism and passion in buckets.  Passion can’t be taught, but it can be caught. Thanks for the deliveries, on and off the field. Luv ya work!”