What's New
BY Sarah Patterson June 24, 2026
What's New October 23, 2025
Robin, Kip & Corey Oates axed from KIIS 97.3 breakfast, replacement announced next week
After just a year together as a trio, Brisbane’s KIIS 97.3 brekky team Robin, Kip and Corey Oates will wrap up on Friday December 12, 2025 with the replacement hosts to be announced at ARN’s Upfronts next Wednesday October 29.
It is no secret that Kyle Sandilands has wanted to expand The Kyle and Jackie O Show into Brisbane but after a relatively lacklustre audience build in Melbourne, and Robin, Kip and Corey Oates one of the most improved performers in Survey 6, that seemed less likely than 12 months ago when Corey joined the team. Sandilands is from Brisbane originally.
If not Kyle and Jackie O then who might take Robin, Kip and Corey’s place? Robin Bailey and Kip Wightman have coming up for 50 years commercial radio experience between them and they know Brisbane, it is a tough day for them after feeling the pressure of speculation since Kyle and Jackie took their show into Melbourne in the first place.
An ARN spokesperson said of the forthcoming changes:
“After careful consideration, ARN has made the decision to bring the Robin, Kip & Corey Oates breakfast show on KIIS 97.3 to a close, with the final show airing on Friday, December 12. We want to thank Robin, Kip, Corey, and the entire team, both on and off air for their hard work, creativity, and commitment to the Brisbane audience. Their contribution has been significant and will be celebrated in the weeks ahead. In 2026, KIIS 97.3 will launch a new, live, and local breakfast show that will be bold, entertaining, and fast-moving.”
Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster.
Good bitta spin there of the show being the biggest riser in the last survey. It isn’t necessarily their fault, but its easy to gain when you’ve shed… it is still down .5 a point to last year survey 6, which was down 1 point to 2023 survey 6 (given, it was 10.5% in 2022).
Format switch plays a bit of the change there, but really looks to me like a hail mary thrown that hasn’t been caught
Kyle & J for breakfast maybe??
“we can’t reveal all the details just yet, the new show will be bold, entertaining, and fast-moving with a renewed focus on energy and music.
In other words they can’t find anyone
Smallsy possible as well
Don’t worry about who will replace Corey Robin and Kip kiss 973FM listeners change your radio station to a.m. and become listeners to SEN Q69 3 am right now. The one day cricket match between Australia and India is on at the moment from the Adelaide Oval in the third one will be from Sydney and then you’ll have as of November 21 the ashes between Australia and England. I forgot to add after the one day series of T20 games in India on plus the big Bash games. As well as the A-League basketball and the NRL next year.
Probably a perfect time to rebrand to gold!!
As with all failed programming decisions at the Brisbane joint venture, it’s time for a comment that Smooth would be the better choice for 973.
ARN would have to relinquish their programming and presence in the Brisbane market, yet a switch to be the silent partner of the JV would be an inspired decision for improved revenue, profit, client results and market format diversity.
Perhaps Lachie is too busy playing succession with his dad to worry about his Australian radio assets, but after 24 years of ups and downs of 973’s fortunes, a switch entirely to Nova programming the JV would be the smart move.
Smooth is well established in the market as the #1 digital radio audience and has market mainstay, Nick Michaels long established on breakfast.
With ARN earlier blundering into the Perth market, pointing 96 into competition with their own JV, Nova937 and now repeating this mistake with the Kiis of death for 973 against Nova 106.9, the JV meetings must be either an entertaining lunch or both operators really don’t care about their products. Which is it?
Smooth with Nick Michaels breakfast on 973 ultimately will be the most successful revenue and profit the JV has ever experienced in Brisbane.
There’s always 2027 for that.
That’s a bit rough, having to stay on until Dec 12 instead of the traditional radio way of letting them know after their shift ends and changing the locks immediately.
Why live and local? Just network Christian and change format and name to Gold. Brisbane radio is crying out for this.
973 should take the Smooth program.
Brand known and established in market with Nick Michaels presenting from Teneriffe. Regularly top of the DAB+ pile.
Would require ARN and Nova to agree to a change of their joint venture, perhaps it’s time to swallow pride and do it.
Lot cheaper than hiring and marketing new breakfast talent.
Long run, far lower costs, higher revenue and profit.
Bianca, Will and Woody for BNE Breakfast.
Smallzy National Drive 3pm to 6pm
The day ARN surrenders control of 973 to become smooth is the day hell freezes over.
If its changing to a classics format, it’s changing to GOLD, make no mistake
@Like Clockwork @Fiat Lux – so long as Nova control programming for 93.7 Perth, ARN will control the programming on 97.3 Brisbane. There’s no chance ARN will give up its on-air presence in Brisbane and hand it over to Nova for Smooth.
ARN would be better off switching to Gold, but given they’ve already announced that 97.3 Breakfast will be ‘live and local.. with a renewed focus on energy and music’ – that means no Christian, no K&J (at least not initially).. my money’s on Smallzy.
Switching to gold would put them in direct competition with river 949, who they now also own.
Smooth would be worth trying, Brisbane hasn’t had an easy listening station since 4BH swapped to classic hits after the loss of 4kq , however being basically a 3rd copy, like they are now, even an almost duplication of an existing format, that’s been on community radio station switch Brisbane for many years, seems a bit of a silly move.
Agree with the commenters saying 97.3 needs to switch to Smooth 97.3. ARN are pig-headed but it’s a no-brainer.
And if that doesn’t happen then flip it to Gold 97.3
The problem isn’t going away otherwise. Brisbane cannot have 3 out of 4x FM stations in the city with a CHR format. It’s a joke.
I suspect ARN will be too stubborn though and will press ahead. I think the “new” breakfast show will be a temporary show for a few months until the heat dies down and they they’ll put Kyle & Jackie on 97.3 – and it will be an even bigger disaster !!!
ARN have bet the farm on K&J, and I think that bet has gone very, very wrong. I’d be surprised if they’re around in 12 months the way they’re going.
Hilarious the camera guy saying KandJ for breakfast. What could possibly go wrong
Time for a metro Country Music station. Brisbane the perfect market for it…