Melbourne, we have (extreme) lift off

This morning at 6 o’clock, like thousands of others, I tuned in to check out the first half hour of Kyle & Jackie O’s newly networked show on Melbourne’s KIIS 101.1.

I often say that nothing shocks me anymore. But in that first half hour, I heard myself gasp. Out loud. Several times over.

I didn’t think I would, but I did. Because – regardless of whether I fit into the K & J demographic or not – what I heard coming through my speakers was shocking. The content was extreme. And that’s exactly how they planned it.

I couldn’t help thinking back to this observation from creative development coach Wade Kingsley on the latest episode of the Game Changers Radio: Melbourne Radio Wars podcast:

“I think if they are going awfully hard on the gratuitous stuff too early, they might never recover from that.”

But if you thought K & J were going to hold things back a tad and slowly ease their new Melbourne audience into the polarising content that is their trademark, you’d be wrong.

Apart from the occasional reference to Melbourne and the show’s ‘new Victorian listeners,’ most of the discussions in the first 25 minutes of today’s show centred on explicit (and I do mean explicit) sexual references and genitalia.

Former SCA content boss Craig Bruce notes on the Melbourne Radio Wars podcast that K & J’s extreme content will be jarring for those who haven’t heard it before.

“There will be an audience that is just not up for it.”

For their first morning on Melbourne’s airwaves, the Sydney duo introduced themselves and their eleven staff, from their newsreader Brooklyn and Chief of Content Bruno to Alfie, who makes K & J’s coffee, most of whom eagerly contributed to the discussions on everything from STIs to stalkers.

It was 6.26 when K & J first talked about what was ahead on the show – including the $200,000 Noise – and launched into the first song of the morning.

Controversial? Yes. But Kyle Sandilands hasn’t even contemplated the possibility of the show bombing in Melbourne.

In an interview with Stellar magazine in the days leading up to today’s launch, the pair made clear their plan of attack is simply to continue doing what they’re already doing.

“We know we have good content, and I feel that is what will win over that audience,” said Jackie.

“Good is good,” said Kyle. “The world is so much smaller than it used to be. We’re listening to podcasts from all over the world.”

“This whole fakeness of ‘the show’s not made in Melbourne’ … Well, guess what? Neither is the Today show or Sunrise.”

“But people still watch because people aren’t f*cking stupid. No-one thinks like that.”

Kingsley notes that whether we like it or not, K & J is very listenable.

“The show is as real as you’re ever going to get.”

And he says there’s no evidence to suggest it won’t work in Melbourne.

Craig Bruce and experienced programmer Irene Hulme discussed the powerful and emotive impact of K & J’s commitment to giving back to the community.

Over at the Fox, Fifi, Fev & Nick continue to drive localism through their promotion as a Melbourne show and Brekky in the Burbs.

That, says Kingsley, counts for plenty.

“Doing Melbourne is going to be more impactful than saying Melbourne.”

But moving forward, will Melbourne audiences be able to stomach the extreme stuff from K & J?

“I think the only way Kyle and Jack can mess this up is if they do that kind of content all the time,” says Kingsley.