ABC Radio’s Sydney Drive host, Richard Glover, will retire next month after a record 26 years behind the local radio microphone.
The announcement, made on his program on Friday afternoon, is the second major move this week by a presenter at ABC Radio. Patricia Karvelas is leaving Radio National Breakfast after three years.
A former Sydney Morning Herald Europe correspondent, Glover juggled hard news reporting with a talent for humorous writing before moving into broadcasting in 1998 as mornings host on 702 ABC Radio.
Glover eventually moved into drive time, taking over the slot from Mike Carlton, and frequently enjoyed the number one spot in the radio ratings.
Glover said it was a tough decision to step away.
“It’s one of the best jobs in Australian journalism, and I feel I’ve hogged it for long enough,” he said. “It has a terrific audience – funny, wise, full of intellect but also willing to share some of the deeper stories of being human.
“The program also offers the chance to do anything. Every afternoon we have politics, literature, music and comedy, all jockeying for position.”
In 1998 Glover started his popular Thank God It’s Friday program featuring comedians and musicians and added a live studio audience to the show in 2009.
TGIF has become a signature show for Glover and his final program will be a Thank God It’s Friday spectacular on 29 November.
Missed it? Need a laugh? Catch up here! Another fun TGIF with Richard @rgloveroz Bridie @BridieKConnell & Tommy @TommyDean_ and yours truely. https://t.co/PRiZaFpVwf via @ABCaustralia @abcsydney
— Gary Eck (@GaryEck) August 19, 2024
In 2011 Glover and his friend and colleague at the Herald, Peter FitzSimons, achieved a record for the world’s longest radio interview, supervised by Guinness World Records at the ABC’s Ultimo studios.
A prolific author, Glover has written 18 books and says he plans to write another after he steps down.
His 2015 memoir, Flesh Wounds, detailed how he overcame his dysfunctional childhood.
“Sometime in the future, there may be new opportunities for me at the ABC, but in the short term I plan to keep writing my column for the Sydney Morning Herald, attempt another book and dote over my three grandchildren,” he said.
He kept a connection with the Herald through a weekly humour column, which has been published in the Herald and the Age for more than three decades.
The ABC managing director, David Anderson, said Glover is “a once in a generation broadcaster who manages to strike the balance between news and politics and just having a really good yarn on radio”.
“I would like to thank Richard for giving so much of himself to his program. He has been an intrinsic part of 702 ABC Radio Sydney for more than 25 years and he will be missed by his colleagues and his audience in equal measure,” Anderson said.
