2Day FM Breakfast rumours: Hughesy, Ed and Erin Molan
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Southern Cross Austereo’s (SCA) Sydney station 2Day FM is expected to announce its Breakfast lineup this week.
Radio Today understands the show will be hosted by current Hit Network Drive hosts Ed Kavalee and Dave Hughes, with Nine personality Erin Molan also on the billing.
Kavalee and Hughes have been hosting the later Drive segment on SCA’s Hit Network – including 2Day FM in Sydney – since Kate Langbroek moved to Italy, transforming the legacy Hughesy & Kate brand into Hughesy & Ed.
Molan is currently tied to the Nine Network, previously appearing on The NRL Footy Show. She remains part of its news and NRL coverage across television and radio including as part of The Continuous Call team, for now.
The shift of Hughes and Kavalee would leave the Hit Network without a syndicated Drive program between 5pm and 7pm.
The 3pm to 5pm slot is currently occupied by Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little. Industry insiders suggest this show could be expanded to fill the full Drive slot and compensate for the disappearance of Hughesy & Ed.
This latest round of speculation comes after an increase in chit-chat in recent months about who will take over the struggling spot. Then, a few weeks ago, SCA revealed it was just weeks away from revealing the new lineup.
2Day FM currently has a 3.5% share in Breakfast. Drive, measured as 4pm to 7pm, has 3.8%.
Currently the Breakfast slot is hosted by veteran programmer and announcer Jamie Angel who has been presenting a ‘Music For Breakfast’ format.
The Music For Breakfast approach came after numerous iterations of talent-fronted programs, which could not get a firm foothold in the market.
2Day FM Breakfast’s instability began at the end of 2013, when contract negotiations with Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson broke down. The FM-topping duo then took their Kyle & Jackie O Show to rival Australian Radio Network (ARN) to help relaunch Mix 106.5 as KIIS FM.
To this day, the Kyle & Jackie O Show remains the #1 FM Breakfast show in Sydney.
Since then SCA has tried various programs, kicking off with Merrick, Jules and Sophie (with Mel B). This program, fronted by Merrick Watts, Jules Lund and Sophie Monk – with occasional input from former Scary Spice Mel B – could not take on the Kyle & Jackie O juggernaut and only lasted a year.
Up next was Dan Debuf and Maz Compton – or Dan & Maz – who had been doing Nights across the Hit Network. They were only eight months in when SCA announced there would be a new lineup in 2016.
This new lineup was Rove & Sam, or TV stalwart Rove McManus alongside jilted Bachelor winner, turned triumphant Bachelorette, Sam Frost. The duo failed to translate their television fame into a solid listener base, meaning they too only lasted a year.
Up next was The Em Rusciano Radio Show with Harley Breen. The comedians tried a different “looser” style of radio, but frequently hit headlines for broadcasting a Sydney show from Melbourne, and alleged tensions between the team.
Breen departed after one year to shift his focus back to standup comedy, with Kavalee and TV personality Grant Denyer catapulted in to fill the void.
It was then Rusciano’s turn to depart. She cited her pregnancy and need to spend time with her growing family. She was replaced by existing SCA talent Ash London.
Angel took over the spot at the start of this year.
Head of the Hit Network, Gemma Fordham, previously rebuffed speculation from this writer that the Music For Breakfast format was a temporary move to let the dust settle on its ever-changing lineup.
Fordham – in words we will definitely be quoting should she backtrack – is resolute. This is not 2Day FM in a holding pattern. It is 2Day FM finally listening to what the audience wants.
“There’s no rebrand. There’s no plans for some grand show. I can understand the speculation, but there’s absolutely nothing but commitment to this opportunity because ultimately it’s a gap, and it’s something different. It’s something different for Sydney, and it’s going to be tonally very different for this market. So that’s why we made the decision, and all of the feedback that we have supports it.”
This year, however, Angel has called the performance of 2Day FM Breakfast “tough”, “challenging” and a “a little bit heartbreaking” – and both SCA CEO Grant Blackley, and chief content officer Dave Cameron have flagged their intentions to return to a prominent Breakfast show.
Radio Today contacted SCA, however a spokesperson declined to comment.
I’ve got that 2day feeling. I think it’s called deja vu.
No disrespect to the the talents of those involved, but what boring safe choice that is. Another “2 guys and a girl” line up. It’s so 2010. More of the same types of personalities on the radio merry-go-round.
What a shame they didn’t take a chance on Sally & Erica from Triple J and offer something genuinely interesting.
What a joke! They don’t rate on drive in Sydney and Dave Hughes doesn’t have his heart in it anymore
2Day might as well put Jake and Vivienne on breakfast and save a lot money and achieve the same 3% share
I’m not a morning person, Peter, but SCA knows how to reach me.
PS. Thank you for your bold 3% prediction! Realistically, I think it would closer to 2.5%.
I really hope this decision will boost 2day up and stay up.
Is everyone missing the glaringly obvious here that they are going to do a Sydney breakfast show with two of the hosts in Melbourne?
Have no lessons been learnt?
I agree with Peter.
Jake and Vivienne for Breakfast.
Huge talents with the best words, probably of all time.
this is a little underwhelming!!!
Feel for Ed Kavalee – he’s been shuffled around SCA like a deck of cards on poker night. Agree that Hughesy’s heart no longer in it and would imagine he would look at stepping away from the airwaves rather soon.
This could have been a chance for SCA to build a longterm Sydney Brekky show but this just shows they are following their past mistakes.
KJ will continue their reign
I guess Dave Hughes is getting paid $2 million a year to rate poorly while a lot of people are losing their jobs in radio so at least they are going to make him do something to earn that money. Some ratings would be nice for all that cash Dave?
Is it going to be broadcast from Melbourne? The Drive on Hit network has no energy, very bland in my opinion… if it’s going to be the same in the morning- it’s not going to work. Second chance for Ed…good luck with that.
@Oli poor Ed? Maybe him constantly being shuffled around is more a reflection of him?
This would be the worst mistake SCA could make if they attempt to do another Sydney breakfast show out of Melb. Unless they actually man up and make their talent move.
2day needs a pair who will actually give kyle and jackie o a run for their money! why not hamish and andy?
Recycle is not the option. I find several hosts annoying.
Does Grant Blackley actually know anything about radio?
@Stephen – Hamish & Andy wouldn’t do breakfast hours, plus they likely earn more money for their one day a week podcast… must be nice!
This is a terrible idea.
I enjoy Hughesy And Ed in the afternoon., but it won’t work in the morning. Ed has already been there and done that.
And I definitely would not listed to Erin Moran.
Why are all the executives still employed? If I make poor decisions for 7 years I would expect to be fired.
This is laughable. This show will be axed by Grant, DC and Gem within 12 months. Or one of them quit.
Not a long-term move at all.
this is not a winning show. same same…
is Jamie out of a gig now?
SCA have lost all of what they once were. the good ones are no longer there.
Hot tip:
Paul Murray and Pauline Hanson for 2Day Breakfast.
The Morning Paull.
You heard it here first.
Look, no disrespect to these guys but they’re not going to rate any higher. I know ‘A Jones’ was taking the piss suggesting Paul Murray and Pauline but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try FM talk as a younger demographic alternative to 2GB.
Is there any Management at 2Day
Who would make such a decision
Sydney breakfast out of Melbourne
ARN and Nova will be happy if this goes ahead
BTW at the moment with its jingles etc 2Day sounds more like Smooth FM
Sleepy and boring
May as well switch off the 2Day transmitter…..
Based on my listening experience my money is with Tommy and Carrie with Marty Sheargold
Erin Molan would be better with Marty Sheargold on triple m Melbourne breakfast..and how about Kate Langbroek?
Time for commercial radio to stop with these mindless teams of people laughing at each other’s jokes and making up stores about the dramas in their lives.
I have nothing against these people, but the nail in the coffin at 2DayFM is already hammered in.
What about one of the former hosts, that SCA gave the chop?
One little trouble-maker who worked in Port Macquarie springs to mind…
Merrick Watts is another contender