ARN has renewed the contract for Gold 104.3’s breakfast host Christian O’Connell for five more years taking him to 2029 and beyond.
ARN confirmed O’Connell would continue broadcasting alongside Jack Post and Patrina Jones.
Christian O’Connell: Where to in 2024?
What was missing from the announcement was confirmation whether they would be heard on Gold 104.3 into the future.
ARN is in the midst of an ambitious takeover of SCA which, if successful, would mean ARN takes control of the Triple M network and sells its Gold and WSFM stations in Melbourne and Sydney.
That would also mean that ARN would presumably take The Christian O’Connell Show to Triple M. If that happened it would mean no more Marty Sheargold on Triple M breakfast. There is also a possibility ARN might be tempted to network O’Connell into Sydney too. If he can move from London and conquer Melbourne, the magic might work again for Sydney too.
That also raises questions about the future of Jonesy and Amanda at WSFM. And if O’Connell does leave Gold, how attractive is the licence to a new owner?
On renewing his contract with ARN, O’Connell said, “Today I have nothing but deep gratitude at signing my new long-term deal, and that’s how my family feel as well. It means I get to continue building and growing what I’m doing with my positive corner of the radio dial, where I want my listeners to feel like they belong, and we can share the messiness of being human!”
Christian O’Connell
ARN’s national content director Duncan Campbell added, “Christian O’Connell has truly won over Melburnians, bringing a unique show and storytelling to the airwaves every weekday morning. The show continues to produce consistent and engaging content, which has led to the continued success of the show come ratings time. We look forward to continuing to work with Christian and the team to create more radio magic for Melbourne.”
ARN’s CEO Ciaran Davis said, “Putting an English accent onto the Melbourne airwaves was a brave move five years ago, but we’ve never looked back. Christian is now well and truly part of the fabric of Melbourne and his commitment to unearthing the stories that make Melbourne tick is what makes the show a cut above the rest. We’re thrilled to have cemented our partnership for another five years.”
The Christian O’Connell Show (l-r) Jack Post, Christian O’Connell and Patrina (Patsy) Jones
About Christian O’Connell
Launching with ARN in June 2018, The Christian O’Connell Show has been Melbourne’s #1 FM breakfast show for 27 out of the last 28 surveys.
O’Connell this year celebrated his 25th anniversary in radio, first joining Gold 104.3 in 2018 after a career in the UK, where he was the youngest ever inductee into the UK’s Radio Academy Hall of Fame and had won more Radio Academy Awards than any other person. He has since recorded over 1000 shows with the Gold 104.3 family.
See also: The Christian O’Connell Show celebrates five years on-air in Melbourne