Just days after revealing a partnership with Nine for Paris Olympics coverage, ABC Radio has revealed Bruce McAvaney will be a member of its commentary team.
The recently announced ABC deal with Nine means live coverage of Olympic events can be broadcast to metro areas of Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra, Darwin and the Gold Coast. Also regional markets around Australia. The stations and markets involved are 891 ABC Adelaide, 105.7 ABC Darwin, 936 ABC Hobart, 666 ABC Canberra and DAB+ channels in those markets, as well as local ABC radio stations across regional, rural and remote Australia. Commercial terms relating to the sub-licensing deal have not been revealed. The deal came sometime after there was speculation earlier this year that Nine had decided not to partner with ABC Radio.
See also: Nine rejects ABC Radio attempt to secure Olympics sub-licensing deal
The ABC deal to secure McAvaney comes just 11 days before the start of the 2024 Summer Olympics. It sees McAvaney continue his relationship with the world’s biggest sporting event for a 40th year after first being involved working for Network 10 on Los Angeles in 1984.
The ABC has also revealed key members of its Paris 2024 commentary team working alongside McAvaney. ABC broadcasters Quentin Hull, Corbin Midlemas, Clint Wheeldon, Ben Cameron, Ned Hall, Declan Byrne, Lauren Bordin and Robin Chipperfield will be heard by ABC Radio listeners in some markets.
Former Olympians providing analysis for ABC Radio are Melinda Gainsford-Taylor (athletics), Sarah Ryan (swimming), Simon Orchard (hockey), and Brad McGee (cycling). Also joining the coverage are former Davis Cup player John Alexander and Matilda Amy Harrison.
Building the ABC team and guiding the Paris 2024 coverage are ABC head of capital city radio network and sport Mike Fitzpatrick and content director of ABC Sport Tim Verrall.
Head of ABC audio content Ben Latimer told Mediaweek the coverage will see the ABC commentators working from the dedicated Nine Radio Olympic Games studio in Sydney. The live coverage can be heard from 6.30pm AET until the final event each day of the Games.
Bruce McAvaney: ‘Excited’
Speaking about his involvement this year, McAvaney said: “I’ve always thought the Olympics was the ultimate event for an Australian broadcaster. To be given this opportunity by the ABC means a great deal to me.
“These Games will be as exciting as any. We have a 75-strong athletics team – our biggest ever we have sent overseas. I’m very optimistic they’re ready to achieve great things.”
Bruce McAvaney was part of Seven’s coverage of Tokyo Olympics
Bruce not in Paris, but Sonya and Jules will be
Latimer also revealed ABC Radio will send Adelaide breakfast show hosts Sonya Feldhoff and Jules Schiller to Paris. They will be broadcasting Adelaide’s most-listened-to AM breakfast show (the biggest AM cume in GfK Survey 4, 2024) back to Adelaide from Paris for the duration of the Games. Sonya and Jules revealed the news to their growing Adelaide audience this morning toward the end of their program.
The head of ABC audio noted the details came after a good week for ABC Radio. Latimer said: “Last week’s results once again demonstrate the power of ABC Radio, with more than seven million listeners tuning in every week. We’re delighted to see ABC’s Local Radio Network increase its audience share in all metro markets, with Adelaide and Brisbane the two standouts. We anticipate a further boost for Adelaide in the coming months with live coverage of the Paris Olympics.”
Adelaide ABC breakfast hosts Sonya Feldhoff and Jules Schiller
Roy & HG say ‘Cheese’
While listeners in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth will miss out on McAvaney and his new colleagues on ABC Radio, there is Olympic spirit coming their way.
The ABC also announced today the return of Roy & HG to the Olympic stage.
The duo will be on air daily Monday to Friday across the Olympic fortnight with a Paris 2024 show – Roy & HG: People, Medals and Cheese. The hour-long program can be heard daily at 11am across ABC Radio, then at 2pm on RN and as a podcast on ABC Listen.
Roy and HG