The departures of recent high-profile and beloved ABC Radio Sydney personalities have left a sour taste in the mouths of ABC Radio staff as the national broadcaster shakes up its lineup for 2025.
Late last month ABC Sydney Mornings presenter Sarah Macdonald revealed on air that her contract had not been renewed, and weekend presenter Simon Marnie took to Instagram to confirm he would also not be returning to air next year, saying it “came as a shock”. Popular presenter Robbie Buck will be leaving the ABC too.
Drive presenter Richard Glover will also retire after 26 years, replaced by former Seven and Ten presenter Chris Bath.
One ABC Radio staffer, speaking anonymously to Crikey as they are not authorised to speak publicly, said it felt “utterly demoralising” and “distressing” to see the wholesale changes to the ABC lineup.
“People forget how easy listeners switch off,” they said.
Another staffer reflected those sentiments to Crikey, and several sources described the feeling at Marnie’s last broadcast from Government House as “funerary”.
Another ABC Radio source told Crikey that audio division chief Ben Latimer had lost the confidence of staff, as well as “fucking furious” audiences who had flooded the ABC with complaints over the departures of Macdonald, Marnie and Buck in particular.
“Sacking … three of the most beloved presenters in the building is a great way to go to war with all of your staff and set up a poisoned chalice for the next host,” they said.
“There will probably be an audience exodus for the gen Xers and boomers who love Simon and Sarah,” they speculated.
The question of the future of ABC Radio Sydney’s audiences is a matter of mixed opinions. Another ABC Radio source told Crikey that it was perfectly routine for audiences to drop following a change of presenters, let alone one as significant as this. Another source predicted that audiences would eventually return, describing listeners as “rusted on”.
Both sources, however, thought it ill-advised for the ABC to change the lineup as much as it had. Each of the sources Crikey spoke with blamed the commercial radio background of Latimer — who joined the ABC from Nova — as why he had misunderstood the needs of the public broadcaster.
Latimer — who told The Sydney Morning Herald in November that the fundamentals of radio were the same at Aunty as they were elsewhere — was contacted for comment.
Crikey asked whether Latimer felt he had the confidence of his staff, whether there had been (as reported) a significant increase in complaints from the public in relation to recent ABC Radio departures, and whether the ABC anticipated an exodus of listeners from the programs that saw changes.
A spokesperson for the ABC declined to comment on his behalf.
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