As Andrew Jarman celebrates a radio milestone, let’s remember it’s been a pretty big week for the Triple M brand by anyone’s standards.
As a corporate raider tries to take control of SCA to get its hands on the Triple M network, SCA has announced five new Triple M regional breakfast shows. It also shuffled key personnel at Triple M Melbourne.
See also: Radio goes boom! ARN wants Triple M Network…will the SCA board play ball?
Meanwhile, there is a celebration in Adelaide where one of the biggest characters in radio – Andrew ‘Jars’ Jarman – is celebrating 21 years on 104.7 Triple M.
As part of the celebration, his Adelaide Rush Hour co-hosts Bernie Vince and Greg Blewett looked back on Jars’ incredible radio career with a special montage of his biggest moments over the years.
Listen to the Triple M Adelaide highlights package
SCA recalled today that Jars has had many roles at Triple M, including footy commentating, and boundary reporting. He made his greatest impact working across breakfast and drive shows for 104.7 Triple M.
The Adelaide station has survived a few bumps over the year, but it currently ranks #1 station overall in the market with a share of 11.7%.
Bernie Vince, Andrew Jarman and Greg Blewett
Andrew Jarman career highlights
Starting in 1996 at Triple M on the Big Breakfast, Jars covered the Adelaide Crows’ back-to-back premierships as well as major historic world events including September 11.
In 2004, he left radio to take up a stint in the coach’s box with the North Adelaide Football Club before moving to Western Australia to coach the Perth Demons. In 2011, Jars returned to the airwaves on Triple M’s Dead Set Legends and formed an iconic partnership with KG Cunningham.
In 2014, Jars joined The Rush Hour, where his connection with listeners was second to none despite getting listeners’ names wrong from time to time. In fact, getting names wrong was somewhat of a pattern for him, while interviewing global megastar Matt Damon, he called him his character name Jason Bourne!
Jars has found his home for the last few years as the co-host of The Rush Hour with Bernie Vince and Greg Blewett.
Jars on the footy field
Speaking this week about his 21 years on air Jars said: “It’s not a job, it’s a privilege.”
Bernie Vince said: “He creates chaos during the show, he never knows where he’s trying to get to with the story, what he’s trying to say and when he does say it, it makes no sense but that’s what makes great radio!
“Working with Jars has developed my career, because I realised that chaos, no planning and mistakes makes for great entertainment, and Jars is an entertainer. He’s been an entertainer his whole life, whether that be footy, coaching, media, or The Rush Hour. He’s an entertainer, he gets radio and that’s what makes him unique.
“He embraces the fast, furious nature of The Rush Hour, and the three of us just get on really well, he’s taught me about having fun, being close, and just enjoying every day when we come in. Jars also taught me not to just laugh at others, but to laugh at yourself, laugh at your own mistakes.”
Greg Blewett added: “My fondest memories of working with Jars have been the laughs. The amount of times my head and abdominals are aching from the amount of laughter is too many to remember. His live reads are legendary!”
When asked how Jars has lasted so long in radio Blewey explained: “He’s got a good feel for what our audience wants us to cover and to get a good balance to our show. He’s also happy to put himself out there and say what needs to be said. But in saying that and getting back to the original question of how has he lasted so long? I have no idea, it’s a modern-day miracle!”
Adelaide Rush Hour team
Breakfast show host Chris “Ditts” Dittmar added: “Can I mention the Pyramid of Giza, The Great Wall of China, the seven wonders of the world…Jars is one of them!”
Laura “Loz” O’Callaghan reflects on one of her first memories of Jars: “Jars was supposed to be in for Dead Set Legends, he was nowhere to be seen for a pre-recorded interview, or the first half an hour of his show, and eventually he rolled in with his arms in the air and said ‘the king is here’ we can start the show. It really broke the ice, it made me realise I didn’t need to act very professional at all to be more professional than him!
“Jars is so himself, in a way that’s quite rare, he doesn’t change to appease anyone, he’s very unique and true to his own quirk, like it or not, I personally like it.”
Jars will celebrate as any 21-year-old would with a 21st on November 10th at Henley House with 100 Triple M listeners.
Quotes from an SCA statement about Jars’ big anniversary.