Still a radio record holder: Wendy Harmer turns 70

She was the first woman on Australian radio to earn a million-dollar salary, blazing a trail for female broadcasters long before the likes of Jackie O were dominating the local airwaves.

Wendy Harmer was a force to be reckoned with in the FM space.

Last week, Harmer celebrated her 70^th birthday, and whilst time marches on and the industry continues to evolve, her radio legacy remains as strong as ever.

Alongside Paul Holmes and Peter Moon, Harmer won an astonishing 84 out of 88 ratings surveys during her eleven-year tenure as co-host of Sydney’s 2Day FM Breakfast show.

Getting married and having two children in her early forties, she continued to maintain 16-hour working days at 2Day FM.

In 2018 Harmer began hosting Breakfast on ABC Radio Sydney alongside Robbie Buck. It wasn’t long before they were giving top-rating 2GB host Alan Jones a run for his money.

In their first joint ratings survey Harmer and Buck delivered a 10.5 share, making their program the second most listened-to radio show in Sydney behind Jones.

By Survey 6 of 2021, Harmer and Buck had achieved a 15.7% share, the highest ever for the Breakfast shift on ABC Radio Sydney.

It’s a record which still stands today.

While ratings are a measure of success every radio performer aspires to achieve, Harmer can claim other victories that will last longer and be far more significant. It is a legacy built on success but defined by a work ethic, belief and determination as aspirational as the ratings numbers.