“Radio is so dynamic, buzzing and immediate.” Pinky Neven nears a decade at Triple M

Pinky Neven never wanted a boring life. And so far, it’s been anything but.

Come January 2026, Pinky – who co-hosts Triple M Central Queensland Breakfast with Anthony Stefanos – will celebrate ten years at the Ms.

“I am truly proud of this decade, to say the least,” Pinky tells Radio Today.

“It will also be marked by my only child graduating high school, so it’s a major milestone for me all ’round.”

Pinky has packed plenty into those years: During her tenure at the Ms, she’s been part of a team that completed a relay swim around Great Keppel Island for a station promotion and raised staggering amounts of money for the local children’s hospital wards.

Oh, and she also became unofficial Pineapple Princess for a local festival.

“Reflecting on this and what a chunk of time can achieve in a market is pretty special to me.”

One of four children and the daughter of high school teachers, Pinky grew up in 1980s Brisbane.

“Dancing, music lessons and Youth Theatre were my extra curriculars. We frequented QPAC for theatre, opera and musicals.”

Radio featured heavily in her childhood.

“Initially I insisted on listening to the B105 Morning Crew with Jamie Dunn before school and listening to the countdowns on my ghetto blaster late at night in bed, trying to tape my favourite songs (without the announcer talking over the intros!)”

Navigating the teenage years, she moved on to a steady diet of triple j and couldn’t get enough of Helen Razer, Mikey Robbins, Adam Spencer and Wil Anderson.

“They played the alternative artists like Powderfinger, John Butler Trio, Green Day, Bjork and Regurgitator. And I loved the banter.”

Radio had certainly piqued her interest. She just needed some guidance on how to make a career out of it.

In year ten, Pinky ended up landing a week’s work experience at Channel Seven, mailing out Agro postcards to children who’d sent in fan mail for Agro’s Cartoon Connection. She also filmed some segments for a lifestyle show.

“It was awesome!” she says.

It wasn’t until Pinky was living on the Gold Coast and studying for a BA majoring in Theatre and New Media that she got a foot in the door at 90.9 Sea FM, working on the front desk for the Community Switch.

“Sammy the receptionist is still there,” Pinky smiles.

But Pinky had her heart set on being on-air.

“My fiancé at the time ended up getting a brekky job in Gippsland, Victoria, so we moved and I got a job in the cars doing the morning crosses.”

Pinky ended up becoming a Promotions Manager, also doing weekend shifts on-air, a short-lived afternoon show and other bits and bobs until she was offered a Breakfast co-hosting role in Mildura.

“What I loved about radio was I could just be myself and connect with all sorts of people for a laugh, a chat or for a heart to heart. It’s so dynamic, buzzing and immediate.”

Today, Pinky is just as passionate about radio as she was back then.

“More than anything though, the relationships I’ve fostered over this time in Central Queensland, a broad array of people I’ve had the privilege to get to know, have all deepened and strengthened over the years.”

Away from the mic, Pinky is well known for her strong community spirit, working as a volunteer for Love Bites, a nationwide program delivering workshops in high schools about respectful relationships.

Her involvement in the program began in 2019, when she was shocked to learn of the number of DVO applications in Central Queensland.

Pinky was formally trained as a Love Bites facilitator, and – along with other volunteers – now delivers the program to high school students across Central Queensland.

“I think it’s amazing and I would have appreciated this when I was a teenager.”

“I firmly believe we are helping the next generation by educating them and with the platform I have, I feel a duty to be active in my community to instigate positive change with my actions, not just words.”

Always wanting to give back to the community, plasma and blood donation is another one of Pinky’s passions, which has led to the creation of a special group called Pinky’s Bloody Legends.

“During Covid, the need for blood and plasma donations was constantly urgent,” Pinky explains. “Although I had regularly promoted being a donor and reminding others to book in, we created a team through the Lifeblood website and that way our listeners could join and track our donations across the year.”

“I always come across colleagues or listeners who hear about us donating and then share a story where these products saved theirs or a loved one’s life and the gratitude is enormous.”

“We really do rely on each other, and it really can be the difference between life or death. So far this year we have saved 75 lives.”

Pinky is deeply grateful to the many people who’ve supported her radio career.

“Through the years there have been so many people who have offered me an opportunity, replied to an email, given me helpful feedback or coached me on from the sidelines.”

“They are all why I am here today.”

“I think I’ve been so knee deep in my own market/show and juggling parenting that I have been neglectful when it comes to reaching out in recent years. I have started again this year. It’s been so great to connect and it has really refreshed my focus and been inspiring.”

“At SCA, I am fortunate to be surrounded by so many wise and generous content leaders.”

“One of my constants for the majority of my career has been Caroline Hutchinson at Mix FM on the Sunshine Coast. I admire her so much and if I need to bend an ear, she has always answered the phone or checked in with me when times are ordinary – she’s a powerhouse.”

As for what lies ahead, Pinky – who started a self-help podcast this year – is now on the brink of being free from the schooling system, and all it entails.

“I look forward to that new found freedom and what that fresh chapter might bring.”