Former Triple M head of content Mike Fitzpatrick will be the ABC’s new head of capital city network and sport.
In his new role, Melbourne-based Fitzpatrick will report to ABC head of audio content, Ben Latimer.
In other appointments revealed today, Double J executive producer Phoebe Bennett is the new content director for triple j and Double j.
Finally, Beverley Wang, the Stop Everything! and Life Matters host will be the ABC’s first national culture correspondent.
Ben Latimer said: “The ABC is proud of its position as the most comprehensive radio and on-demand audio offering of any media organisation in Australia. These exciting new roles for Phoebe and Beverley, alongside the appointment of Mike Fitzpatrick to spearhead the capital city and sports networks, reflect ABC’s ongoing commitment to providing unmatched audio experiences to our Australian audiences.
Ben Latimer
“Mike’s exceptional leadership skills, combined with the expertise of ABC’s audio leadership team, position us perfectly to enhance our capital city network and sports output. We eagerly anticipate Mike’s contributions and are excited to welcome him to the ABC family.”
Mike Fitzpatrick oversaw the Triple M network for 11 years. He was head of digital sport for Southern Cross Austereo’s Listnr platform, led the negotiation and creation of the first commercial FM broadcast of test cricket and managed the SCA sports team.
Fitzpatrick also co-created Triple M Melbourne’s top-rating FM breakfast show The Hot Breakfast with Eddie McGuire and led the content side of the network’s digital audio transition. He starts in the key ABC role on February 12.
On his appointment, Fitzpatrick said “Growing up in regional NSW my love of radio was ignited listening to ABC local radio, and I feel privileged to be chosen to work with the many talented people within the organisation. I’m looking forward to focussing on growing the capital city audience, and the vital role ABC Radio plays in entertaining and informing all Australians.”
New triple j and Double J content director Phoebe Bennett has more than a decade’s experience in radio and podcasts in Australia and the UK, including at ABC and BBC Radio 6 in Manchester. As executive producer at Double J, Bennett was responsible for bringing across the award-winning podcast Take 5 with Zan Rowe to ABC TV.
Bennett commented: “I’m pumped to be working with the best music brains in the business and an epic team of young creatives. It’s an exciting time to be stepping into the role.”
Beverley Wang takes up her post as national culture correspondent in coming weeks. She will combine her knowledge of pop culture with her experience in journalism and broadcasting to provide analysis and commentary across all ABC platforms, while continuing to host of Stop Everything! and Friday episodes of Life Matters.
Wang said: “As a kid who was raised on pop culture, I learned to speak English from Sesame Street – I feel like my whole life has been driving toward this moment. I’m super excited to bring the pop culture analysis we’ve been deep diving into for the past six years on Stop Everything! to a wider audience across multiple ABC platforms. We’re awash in pop culture, but in our time-poor world, we often have little time to process its significance. I hope to help people think more deeply about our constantly shifting culture and be entertained along the way.”
ABC Radio: About Mike Fitzpatrick
Mike Fitzpatrick is a radio and digital audio specialist with 30 years of experience. He has most recently been an executive consultant to the radio and audio industry in Australia and internationally. His career started at 2BS in Bathurst when he was 15. After university, he joined the Austereo Network in 1998 hosting breakfast show The Cage in Sydney and Melbourne. He went on to become head of content for Southern Cross Austereo across sport, the regional network and capital city Triple M network. Fitzpatrick has been the recipient of several Australian Commercial Radio Awards including the Brian White Award for Radio Journalism and Best Program Director. He was recently running the podcast consultancy Media Fitz with male-focussed content you are unlikely to ever hear on the ABC.
See also: Making a noise – How Mike Fitzpatrick built an audio and talent consultancy
About Phoebe Bennett
Phoebe Bennett has more than a decade of experience working in radio and podcasts in Australia and the UK, at the ABC and the BBC. As executive producer at Double J, she was responsible for bringing the award-winning podcast Take 5 with Zan Rowe to new audiences on screens with the successful debut of Take 5 on ABC TV. In the UK, Bennett worked across a number of the key music stations at the BBC – including BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music – as well as making content for leading UK production company Listen for Spotify and Audible.
Beverley Wang
About Beverley Wang
Beverley Wang is a presenter, producer and journalist who has lived, studied and worked in Canada, Japan, the United States and Taiwan. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from NYU and worked as a journalist for The Associated Press before migrating to Australia in 2009. At RN, she was the executive producer of RN Drive before creating and hosting the hit podcast, It’s Not A Race. Outside the ABC, Wang is a popular speaker and moderator at festivals and events.