What's New
BY Sarah Patterson June 2, 2026
What's New March 18, 2025
Huggy takes on Afternoons and Drive at Perth’s 96fm
Reporter
Gold 104.3’s Craig Huggins is now being heard on the airwaves in both Melbourne and Perth taking over as the Afternoons/Drive host on 96fm.
Russell Clarke had been hosting the Afternoons shift on the ARN station for almost six years.
In a social media post, Huggy revealed he was told about the Perth gig last week, and felt surprised.
“So now each morning I drive to Melbourne to start work at Gold104.3, and drive home from 96fm Perth in the evenings! That’s a lot of kilometres each day!”
Huggy had been heard on Adelaide’s Cruise 1323 since it began in 2005. He now departs Cruise to take on the 96fm role instead.
He went on to say “I’ve had the most fabulous 20+ years on Cruise 1323 and felt embraced by the SA listeners, and now I’m just a little further west.”
Huggy officially started on 96fm yesterday, and can be heard on air locally from 1pm until 5pm.
Glad to see Huggy again 🙂
Love the story Radio Today!
Maybe 96fm logo should be similar to Gold not to KIIS… Great time for rebranding to Gold96fm
Cruise still has Huggy doing 1-5 https://www.cruise1323.com.au/shows/craig-huggins/
Love Huggy – he should be heard on all stations across the network.
Great article Radio Today!
I agree with Hkn, 96FM is the ‘dial’ position but dial position means zip in the digital/internet world. A radio station needs a name. GOLD is as good as any.
perfect fit Welcome to Perth Craig
Disagree AussieCam. When a station has been known as 96fm for 45 years it doesn’t “need” any other name. No problem with a Gold 96fm brand but it’s not a need. Some stations have a long heritage of being branded with their frequency. Heck, a lot of people in Brisbane still call Triple M “FM104”. Also lots of other examples both here and overseas.
Is this show live or pre-recorded?
DR, 45 years ago internet & digital was not around so frequency was the norm. These days people access radio by all sorts of medium and platforms. Apart from that networking is the new norm and brand identity is key. Already we can hear music played in one market with exactly the same play list roll out in another market. It’s a new world…
I agree with DR, I flat out refuse to call 973 “KIIS” in Brisbane. It’s 97……3!
Just tuned in and heard a terrific,bright,tight break.
Good local reference….solid playlist.
“Huggy” sounds timeless.
Has 96FM changed its call sign to Melbourne’s Gold 104.3? where is this show coming from, I don’t think it’s Perth. Listening in at 2.56 pm today. Confused!!!!!
Sad if we have lost another local Perth afternoon show to the East Coast.
Have Perth run out of local announcers? How can that be good for 96fm? Really poor sign of things to come unfortunately.
Personally, I wonder if the recent presenter changes at Cruise 1323 (including this one) + the lack of rebrand, are signs that ARN might be about to put the station on the market. Or at the very least, turn it into a completely networked product with only one or two genuinely local shifts.
@Huggy fan: Although probably inevitable at some point, I don’t think Sydneysiders would be particularly thrilled to hear Huggy on Gold 101.7 (which is still running something resembling dual branding on-air last I heard), especially if his place on the lineup comes at the expense of locally based talent as it seems to have on 96FM in Perth.
He’s a class act. Listened yesterday, he sounds really at home, great with callers and high music passion.
Well, that’s one guy that still has a job good on your Huggy
What happened to Russell Clarke?
I know Huggy, and worked with him for many years. I was in sales. He is one of the nicest, most empathetic and genuine people I’ve ever met, and he’d probably be the most sad about people losing their roles in the industry he loves. He has guided many young announcers on their journey to ensure the future radio is in good hands.
He sounds good on the radio , but so did Russell and at least with Russell the show was done here in Perth not from over east. I stopped listening to Triple M for the same reason . Sad
Missing you in Adelaide Huggy