“The dream is to host our own radio show.” Georgie & Tom’s Chat G&T podcast rolls out on ARN regional stations

Georgie Marckwald and Tom Murray. Image supplied.

Content Directors searching for your next successful Breakfast radio duo, take note: they could be right under your nose.

With plenty of industry runs on the board between them, KIIS 973 daytime announcer Georgie Marckwald and audio producer Tom Murray have long dreamt of hosting their own radio show.

Now, they’ve taken a significant step towards that goal, with the podcast they host – Chat G&T – having signed with ARN’s iHeart.

From this Monday (May 18^th) the show will be aired on a host of ARN regional radio stations, from Bega to Bundaberg.

As Georgie tells Radio Today, “It feels like the most ‘me’ version of broadcasting I’ve done.”

Launched in November last year, the podcast is built around the kind of chats you have with your mates over a couple of drinks: unfiltered, unpredictable and very relatable.

“There’s no rigid format,” says Georgie. “The focus is really just entertaining people through honest banter, storytelling, oversharing and the occasional ridiculous tangent.”

Tom, who has worked across major radio networks including SCA, ARN and Nova, likens Chat G&T to a Fourex Gold shandy: refreshing, fun … and uniquely Australian.

“We give the punters exactly what they want at knockoffs,” Tom tells Radio Today. “A light-hearted, raw and honest look at life, parenting and modern-day problems.”

“It’s all about fun and taking the piss out of each other. We’re not trying to be influencers or spiritual gurus or something contrived or controversial. We’re here just for entertainment and fun.”

For ARN’s Head of Regional Content Ryan Rathbone, airing the podcast as a radio show was the obvious next step.

“I worked with Georgie and Tom at Nova 106.9 back in the day. They where proactive in sharing their podcast with me asking for feedback, I could hear the obvious chemistry between them and strong radio sensibilities.”

“We spoke a few times and they made it clear that they’d be open to a move to a regional market if an opportunity arose. We spoke some more and decided we would start to introduce the radio audiences to them and promote their podcast.”

“Radio needs more succession planning for talent across the industry so why not introduce the audience to a good show with potential to become something more, like this one?”

As Radio Today reported this time last year, Georgie is a shining example of how, in times of industry uncertainty, it is possible to pivot – and benefit from the courage of trying something new.

When her role as Mornings Announcer and Music Director at KIIS in Brisbane was made redundant, the multiple ACRA winner took the skills she’d acquired over seventeen years in radio and put them to use in the podcasting realm.

Both Georgie and Tom wanted the Chat G&T podcast to have that fast-paced, radio show kind of feel.

“What I love most about hosting it is that there are really no rules,” says Georgie. “I can be completely myself. In radio, especially as a solo announcer, you’re often talking around music, time limits and lots of moving parts, so it can be hard to fully show your personality in a 40-second talk break.”

For Georgie, the biggest difference between radio and podcasting is that podcasting offers a lot more freedom.

“Firstly, we’re our own boss! So that’s very different. And we can be more relaxed, more conversational and take things in unexpected directions.”

“That said, Tom and I both come from radio backgrounds, so we still have that ‘keep it moving, don’t waffle for too long’ mentality in the back of our minds, which I actually think really helps the podcast. It keeps the energy up and gives it that fast-paced feel.”

“As for whether I favour one over the other, it’s honestly like picking a favourite child – I can’t do it.”

“I love radio and always will, so it’s exciting that ARN is now playing Chat G&T as a radio show across some of its regional stations.”

“The dream has always been to host our own radio show, and ARN has been incredibly supportive of my career, so it feels like a step in the right direction to have Chat G&T with iHeart podcasts and the ARN family.”

Tom says “We’re stoked to be a part of iHeart podcasts. We really want to grow the podcast to a point where we can reach a wider audience and become household names.”

“The goal is to get too popular to ignore, so that Content Directors Australia-wide think Hmmmmm, maybe we give these guys a go?”

The best part, says Tom, is that the Chat G&T podcast is essentially a radio show. With a major point of difference:

“We don’t have ads, the same Sabrina Carpenter song each hour, or any Secret Sound to guess! (Spoiler: it’s the sound of a champagne cork popping).”

Starting next week (May 18th), Chat G&T can be heard 7pm Mondays on the following ARN stations:

Power FM Bega

Power FM Muswellbrook

Power FM Nowra

Wave FM 96.5 Wollongong

Hot 100.1 FM Darwin

Hitz FM 93.9 Bundaberg

Star 102.7 FM Cairns

Star 101.9 & 90.7 FM Mackay and The Whitsundays

Star 106.3 FM Townsville

Hot 91.1 FM Sunshine Coast

Magic 89.9 FM Port Lincoln

Magic 93.1 FM Riverland

Magic 105.9 FM Spencer Gulf

Power FM Murray Bridge

Sea 101.7 & 107.7 FM Devonport and Bernie

7HOFM 101.7 Hobart

Chilli 90.1 & 99.7 FM Launceston and Northeast

Power FM Ballarat