Discussion Days: Part 2

Talking this week about the Discussion segment on Hey Hey It’s Saturday seems to have opened up a can of nostalgia, with more radio memories rolling in.

Chris Heaney was on Discussion during his time at Melbourne’s 3DB and later when he was at 3MP.

He tells Radio Today there was excitement surrounding his first appearance.

“I had just arrived at 3DB after my stint in country radio and I remember it was a buzz, being on that segment.”

But he admits it’s odd, watching it now.

“I showed it to my 19 and 21 year old children and they found it all a bit strange, I think. I must admit it was weird watching myself as a fresh-faced, rather shy 22 year old trying to be amusing. It was like watching another person.”

“I think for a lot of radio people that went on that segment it was totally different from doing your alter ego thing in a little studio by yourself. I had totally forgotten that the late Darryl Cotton was on the panel with me.”

“I realised the power of TV and how popular that show was back then when I was shuffling out of the Village Green after seeing The Angels about 6 months later and a total stranger looked at me and said ‘I know you! I saw you on Hey Hey Its Saturday!’”

Another announcer in Cameron Syrett recalls doing the segment while sitting in an old broom closet in Channel Nine’s Sydney studios.

For Wilbur Wilde, Discussion ultimately led to bigger things.

He tells Radio Today “It was on a Discussion panel where I reckon Daryl and Ernie decided to offer me the full-time gig in late 1983.”

“I was asked to join the show full time as musical director when it went night-time in 1984.”

Award winning radio programmer Steve Woods couldn’t get enough of Discussion, and recalls watching just about every ep.

“I remember loving DJs from different states being featured, like Lyndel Jacob from Tassie,” he tells Radio Today.

“Even working at 3DB, it was so cool to see 3XY or EON FM announcers on the panel.”

“It was the magic of seeing the faces belonging to the voices you listened to each day.”

Photo credit: Hey Hey TV and Facebook.