Why The Rush Hour’s Molly Rose is in no rush

Molly Rose says the thing she loves most about radio is that you can never have a bad day.

“Every misfortune becomes content. Breakdown on the side of the road? That’s a break. Lock myself out in the rain? There’s another one.”

Keeping it real is paramount for Molly, who tells Radio Today “I do my best to bring all of myself to the airwaves – the good the bad and the downright ugly.”

“That’s what listeners have always connected with – my vulnerability and authenticity.”

In March this year, Molly’s ultimate radio dream came true when she was offered the job as Workday Announcer and Anchor on Triple M Adelaide’s Rush Hour with Bernie Vince, Greg Blewett and Andrew Jarman.

It’s especially satisfying given that when Molly started out, she was told by somebody in the industry that ‘women don’t panel, because that’s just not how things are done.’

“I knew that what this person had said to me wasn’t right and that comment stayed with me for years,” Molly remembers.

“I wanted to prove them wrong. It lit a fire in my belly and pushed me to work harder and expand my skill set.”

“I knew that if I could panel, it would open more doors for me, not just as a broadcaster but as a woman.”

And it has. Not only has Molly proved the doubters wrong, she’s smashing it out of the park.

“I now panel and anchor an all-male show, on a station with a male dominated audience, and I feel really proud of that,” she says.

Born in Adelaide, Molly spent most of her 20s travelling and working in a range of creative jobs – both here and overseas.

“I always knew I wanted to do something in the media, but it took a while to figure out what that looked like for me,” she says.

“And then I found radio.”

For Molly, enrolling in the Intro to Radio Course at the Australian Radio School with Sean Craig Murphy was a game changer.

“On my first night, I remember thinking to myself, ‘Oh this is what I’m supposed to do!’ It was like everything clicked.”

Three weeks after finishing the course, Molly landed her first job at Magic 105.9/5AU/5CS in Port Augusta.

Relocating to a small coastal city four hours north of Adelaide certainly took some getting used to, and Molly soon realised how challenging – and isolating – regional radio can be.

Molly feels like she had the textbook regional radio experience.

“I moved to the middle of nowhere, took on multiple roles and did way too many Harvey Norman OBs,” she says.

“As anyone who’s worked in regional radio will tell you, it’s a lot of hard work. You wear a lot of different hats and dip your toe in almost every role at the station, but what that gives you is a well-rounded understanding of what radio really is.”

“Did I ever think I would be milking cows in Mount Compass? No, but that’s why we love regional radio, and why it’s so important.”

“It’s an absolute grind but I also had some of the best times of my life. It’s where I found my love for radio and the people who work in it.”

After eighteen months in Port Augusta, Molly was offered a gig at Power FM in Murray Bridge, co-hosting a Breakfast show with Damon Adams, and later with Craig Pitman, two people she describes as incredible talents.

Four years since that first radio gig, Molly still can’t quite believe where she is today.

“I’ve come into the fold at Triple M during a time when the station is at the top of its game.”

“Being on the number one station in Adelaide and having my Workday shift sit at number one for three surveys in a row feels ridiculous to me. How did I get here?! I get to work with and learn from some of the most talented broadcasters in the country and I don’t take that for granted.”

Molly says she owes everything to Sean Craig Murphy (pictured above with Molly).

“He has been there every step of the way, through every up and down. He has this way of saying the right thing at the right time and giving me the courage to push myself when I need to.”

Murphy is an equally big rap for Molly, telling Radio Today “She’s such a great example of realising that talent alone is not automatically going to guarantee you success.”

“She became very resilient very quickly. She had to, but she had some really good people supporting and guiding her along the way.”

“It can feel a little lonely when you’re first starting out in radio and the journey is never linear, which is why I’m so proud of her hanging in there and achieving her goal of working at a cap city station.”

Murphy says Molly is perfect for radio.

“She’s a brilliant natural and effortless storyteller who just connects with her audience. It always feels like she’s only talking to you. That’s a gift.”

“Which is why I now get her to tell her story in every radio school course. It’s inspirational.”

Molly says Matt O’Reilly has been another driving force in her radio career.

“He is an incredible content director who I have a lot of respect for; he has a radio brain like no other and has given so many community and regional talents their break into metro markets.”

“I’ve been lucky to have so many exceptional mentors over the years, who have gone above and beyond to help me succeed – Adam Connelly, Barry Keohane, Andy Ruzyon, Adrian Brine, Alex Flack, Josh McCabe and Tom Lewis.”

Molly says she could spend an entire afternoon listing all the incredible women in radio she looks up to.

“So many have offered me their advice over the years. Mel Anderson (Assistant Content Director Triple M Adelaide) is an absolute weapon. I would be lost without her support on and off the air. Annabelle ‘AB’ Brett, Lauren ‘Loggy’ Temuskos, Jennie Lenman, Maddy Rowe, Belle Jackson and Abbey Smith, to name a few.”

“Being in the building with someone like Laura O’Callaghan is also wild; she is an exceptional talent and human being. Everything she touches turns to gold.”

Molly says radio life has given her a supportive network of like-minded people all over the country.

“We all cheer each other on from the sidelines.”

Molly says radio’s ability to connect with its audience in real time is what makes it unique.

“There’s nothing like radio. I don’t think it’s going anywhere because it will continue to adapt.”

“Ten years ago, the average person didn’t know what a podcast was, but we’ve now seen how LiSTNR has brought a new audience to radio. It also offers more ways for us to connect with our audience.”

“I think podcasting and radio will continue to benefit from each other.”

As to what the future might hold for her personally, Molly says right now, she’s happy simply soaking up the new adventure that every new day brings.

“People ask me what’s next, and it’s like, well, hang on a second, I just got here. I’m going to enjoy this moment for a while and see where it takes me.  Although, I am currently working on a podcast but that’s all I can say for now!”

“When I worked in regional radio, my dream was to make it on air in a metro market. All I wanted was to work out of a studio with a window and I now get to do that every day, with a view of the city that I grew up in.”

“You can’t ask for much more than that!”