Petition to reinstate former 6PR Overnights host Jon Lewis gathers support
Just days after news of his retrenchment, a petition to reinstate 6PR Overnights host Jon Lewis has already attracted hundreds of signatures.
The petition was set up a day after it was revealed that Lewis – who’s been with the Perth station for almost 40 years – would be leaving his midnight to dawn timeslot.
It says “Jon has been a pillar in the community with his compassion and sense of humour which has been a lifeline to the numerous loyal listeners to his program.”
Lewis has been a fixture in the lives of many Perth insomniacs and night shift workers for the last 29 years.
He is credited with having organised numerous listener lunches, making listeners feel valued and being a compassionate voice for people to turn to in times of crisis.
His final show was last Thursday, where he was joined in the studio by his wife.
His Overnights shift will reportedly be replaced with content from the eastern states.
Those wise men from nine in the east stuffing things up again. How much are they saving here ? Not much it’s pathetic.
Can see a back flip coming fast.
Yes Gary, wise men from the East who have no interest in their listeners in Perth, yet alone staff loyalty. It sends a bad message to current station staff who are now looking over their backs.
Bad radio management.
Here’s a news flash for you. Perhaps raise the budgets locally, a little, to maintain local content. Or do you just not care?
It’s a revenue issue, or lack there of. Not a programming issue. Kick your sales manager in the arse.
I feel there will be more to come of this.
Midnight to dawn is far from a priority for a station like 6PR, but in WA with so many shift workers/listeners it is.
What a fail.
It’s a disgrace retrenching Jon Lewis 6pr obviously are not considering the many listeners who enjoy the interaction with Jon. Perth likes our local presenters, we don’t want over east presenters taking over.
I went onto the Norbert website and sent an email to Nova 937 advising management to sign John Lewis as early breakfast host to lead into their breakfast show why I say to you that with 6PR their treatment of Jon Kewus
Gee he looks young to have been at 6PR for 40 years. How about sending him over here to 3AW?
Maybe he didn’t want to continue working those hours any longer? Hope maybe he has moved into a daytime slot?? Looks nice guy and sounds like he did very well.
No wonder his O/N audience in Perth don’t want him to go.
I don’t believe this I live in the east and I listen to 6PR overnight to get away from all the political bias that’s broadcast on all the 2GB networks here During holiday periods the same person is on all the connected AM stations in Sydney Melbourne Brisbane and Adelaide so we have no choice It’s a refreshing relief to tune in to 6PR and listen to the overnight broadcasters Jon and Fred with their humour and compassion so it seems that is now gone so it’ll be back to podcasts for me I’m really angry at this decision as are so many other loyal 6PR listeners
How can I sign the petition?
We love Jon’s overnight show and can’t see any benefit from being broadcast from Melbourne!
The new overnights on 6pr is absolute rubbish.
Its disgusting what they did to Jon and to many loyal and sometimes lonely listeners of Jon’s show.
I listened to the new format last night ,people talking about area’s and incidents that I have no idea about or interest, then they had some 4×4 show on and it was rubbish.
Its disgusting what they did to Jon and to many loyal and sometimes lonely listeners of Jon’s show.
I listened to the new format last night ,people talking about area’s and incidents that I have no idea about or interest, then they had some 4×4 show on and it was rubbish.
Jon please find a new station to broadcast from and we will follow.
The way that the owners dealt with the magnificent Jon Lewis is disgraceful. The content the owners have replaced Jon Lewis show with is breathtakingly pathetic. Being a 100% 6pr listener has changed sadly.No more channel 9 for me ever. Thanku Jon for years of listening pleasure.
Not a very nice way to treat anyone with that length of service. The content comparison has caused me to change radio station.oh well.
Jon Lewis, such a good Listener, with compassion.Dedication, with integrity and Loyalty is very rare.
He’s got lovely sense of Humor, to go with his knowledge of the famous Aussie Weber. Voice across the Radio was impeccable with Happiness. Kindly Regards Martyn Cooper.
New program at night terrible will never listen again
Over nights so bed now
Yeh sad to lose a great presenter im sure he will do ok.used to listen to 6pr jon was the only one worth listening to.pr has been going down hill for a long time.I switched to abc much better and no commercials good luck jon and thanks
Margaret
I have listened to 6PR since Graham Mabury and the last eight years I have been on dialysis and have had many sleepless nights.
But since listening to Jon Lewis and Fred Mafrica, I found I stayed awake just to listen to the interesting family show until it finished at 5am. I have learned many interesting things from the night line family and it stops the nights from being lonely, it’s like listening to friends and I really miss the show.
I have listened to the new show from Melbourne and it doesn’t fill in the hours from 3am to 5am and it doesn’t come near the night line family, so I have changed to another station.
Please bring back our favourite broadcasters Jon Lewis and Fred Mafrica to our local night line station 6PR Perth.
Super sad to hear this . Listened to jon many times and he Was a gentleman and always replied yo my emails I hope he is enjoying himself somewhere. I won’t be listening to 6pr anymore lol
Yeah terrible decision. 6pr was my most listened to station. Left evening alot after Chris Isley got the chop. Been listening to Jon from the beginning. He was more than a ” radio guy ” , he was so helpful to callers and in doing so helped alot of us ” listeners “. Not all of us call in, but we’re there. Tried to give new format a go, but alas I’ve just drifted to ABC. Which contrary to popular opinion is broadcast live into WA. Still listen to some of
6pr shows like 12 to 3pm slot. I hope Jon is doin’ ok and Gloria too. It has been literally like a death to myself. Sounds dramatic but it’s true.
paul from middle swan
ciao4nao
ps — hope Jon turns up on some station soon, if he does I’LL BE THERE
Oh and I miss Fred Mafrica too. I am watching an episode of The Couch on YouTube daily to get my fix of Fred there. Another guy who was more than just a radio guy. So helpful to his callers. The thing with Fred and Jons interaction with the callers, in my opinion snowballed to us emailers and listeners. Making us all feel groovy.
ciao4nao
paul from middle swan
New format- boring, I will now only listen to 6pr during the day and find another station to listen to after midnight
What rubbish!! Typical east coast bullying!! I’ve completely stopped listening to 6pr except for the 3-6 shift with Oliver Peterson. Jon Lewis is a treasure and it’s really disgusting the way he’s been treated by the typical greedy corporate East coast management!!
Bring back Jihn Lewis that man is an absolute legend & very valued by his listeners. Do whats right for Perth.
I like the new show. In many ways it’s better.
I love being part of the rest of Australia.
And, if I ever need a late-night counsellor, I’ll Google one.
6PR has been a propaganda machine for channel 9 and there mates ever since it was taken over.
They used to let anyone make their opinions heard.
Now they filter the calls, ID your number and don’t answer the people they know might not tow their line.
I call from my number it’s blocked or not answered, I hide my id or call from another phone and I’m answered immediately.
I haven’t listened for months and never will again.
Bring back Jon Lewis he was the only one not molested by Southern Cross/ channel 9.
The rest are just mouthpieces without the gumption to voice a honest opinion.
Southern Cross shouldn’t be allowed to have so much Media ownership.
I like the new show from the East. In many ways it’s much better.
I love being part of the rest of Australia.
Perth Needs Jon Lewis!! Night radio has gone to shit and I now am changing Chanel’s trying my to find him on a station that deserves him.
I have turned off 6pr altogether,
Millsy, bye himself , I miss, he is good with Mick . Fred is also one I am missing.
Bring Jon back, although, it may be too late
, others may grab him.
Channel 9 should realize bean counting long term doesn’t work. especially in radio.
I am an ardent fan of Jon Lewis, and a radio friend. I was one of the first people who called in when he first came on air, but that is only an aside, of my appreciation of Jon.
He developed an ideal middle road in his relationships with the callers of the station, which absolutely no other presenter was able to achieve, a mixture of compassion, serious concern, with fun and friendly humour, which was appreciated by all who came into contact with him, and made him loved.
I feel that, regardless of commercial reasons, a big mistake has been made by the power-brokers at 6pr, because Jon was more than a program presenter, he had become a treasured friend to a whole community..
However, there could be a darker aspect things…..?
The economic situation in WA has been in steady decline in political stability over recent years with an increasing trend in exclusion of people being allowed to have voice, (which, to his credit, Jon Lewis allowed, although he didn’t always agree with what people had to say. There had been some pointing out of how commercial practices had not been acting fairly in the public interest, which was later exposed in Senate enquiries, as being true…
I believe that pressure was put on the station to end this freedom of expression, even though it was true, and that was why Jon was retrenched.
It is a creeping malady of how things have been allowed to deteriorate in our so-called democracy, which we will all regret in the end…
Whole rotten gambit is misfiring and maybe there will be an opening for Jon Lewis to rise again, at 6ix….or some other station and take his advertisements with him…?
I was a listener to 6PR for more than 30 years and haven’t listened to 6PR since Jon left and won’t listen to that station again even if Jon is reinstated.
I was absolutely disgusted what they did to him.
Hi I’d really like Jon Lewis to come back to 6 pr radio again. People enjoyed his friendly
and helpful personality. I’m sure there’s many callers and listeners around our state, eastern states and overseas, who would agree. He is very popular with many listeners and a genuine nice guy.
Jacqui Woodward
Bring Jon back and broadcast all of Australia from 6PR, your audience will grow instead of shrink. Even the ABC is better!