If you’ve tuned in to breakfast on KIIS 106.5 this week, you would have heard the voice of Mitch Churi filling in for Kyle and Jackie O whilst the pair enjoy their last survey break of the year. It’s not the first time Churi has been in the hot seat, having become breakfast’s go to fill in host – as well as working on his own show at the other end of the day, The Night Show with Mitch Churi.
Mediaweek spoke to Churi about The Night Show, podcasting, and what audiences want from radio in 2022.
Churi has taken the reins on KIIS 106.5 breakfast over Summer, Easter, Winter, and now Spring this year. Although Kyle and Jackie O present big shoes to fill, Churi jokes that “Kyle and I are the exact same height and we share the same shoe size!”
“It’s every radio nerd and media nerd’s dream to even be inside the studio when they do a show, let alone use the same studio that they broadcast from every morning. It’s really cool.”
It’s not just bragging rights that Churi has gotten from being the pair’s fill-in, either.
“They’re incredible to work with, they’re both amazing at what they do. They’ve really helped me in my career – when Kyle has had sick days, and I’ve filled in for him alongside Jackie, the stuff that I’ve learned being there with her is invaluable. It’s stuff that I still use when I’m on air.”
Back in January, Churi made the switch from his previous show Mitch ‘Til Midnight to The Night Show with Mitch Churi, airing 7pm weeknights on KIIS 1065 and KIIS 101.1.
“My morning hangovers are completely gone!” says Churi. “Mitch ‘Til Midnight was nine to 12, so I wouldn’t get to bed until two or 3am. I actually have a life! I’m finishing at 10 – and I love that me finishing at 10 is having a life, suddenly.”
Nights is a hotly contested slot, with Churi going up against Abbie Chatfield at Hit and Smallzy at Nova. Even though the show has yet to hit its first birthday (by the way, Churi jokes that people are welcome to send cake in January – he likes caramel), The Night Show is already a formidable force in the timeslot.
“The last two surveys have been phenomenal – we’re the number one night show in Sydney. When you consider who we’re taking on and the heritage shows in that market and in that timeslot, to be number one in Sydney is incredible.
“I’m really, really proud of that, especially considering the show isn’t a classic music shift – there’s so much of me and my identity and my personality. I’m really happy and proud of what we put out.”
Live radio isn’t the only hat Churi wears either, with his podcast Is It Just Me? (alongside Mitchell Coombs) recording its most downloads ever – 80 to 85,000 a month. When asked what the difference between his radio and podcasting experiences have been, Churi admits that “there was definitely an adjustment period.”
“Podcasting is long form, whereas with radio, you’ve got ad breaks to get to, you’ve got news to timeout to, you’ve got music, and you’ve got your guests – especially in a live show. Any presenter will tell you that you’re watching the clock.
“But podcasting, oh my god, it’s so relaxing, it’s like a vacation from radio! They’re so different. I love radio because I love being live – I love the callers and I love that aspect. But there’s definitely a different gear that my brain switches over to when I’m podcasting, and I’m not thinking about my next word as much.”
No matter whether people are listening via radio or podcasts, Churi says that the key to keeping audiences engaged is authenticity.
“If you look at TikTok, Instagram – all social media – radio, television, I think we’re seeing the trend lean toward authenticity. That’s something that I’ve always strived for, I’ve always disliked being pigeonholed as a music jock or an announcer who is there purely to talk about the music. I’ve got a theatre, improv, and comedy background, so to come in and just stick to a jock-like show, I could never do it. I’ve always had authenticity front and centre of my shows, but I really think that will be the future of all forms of media.
“Audiences have such access to short-form content in the form of TikTok – 60 second videos, real people, nothing scripted. It’s all on the fly. That will bleed into other content, we’re going to get a hunger for that at the end of the day.”
Whilst people have been predicting the downfall of radio for years now, Churi says that those predictions couldn’t be further from the truth.
“The future of radio lies with authenticity and authentic, real hosts with real connections. I also think radio’s saving grace is its live factor – it’s always on, always there. The medium is powerful.”