When it was announced that Kyle & Jackie O would be making their Melbourne debut, it came at the expense of KIIS 101.1’s breakfast team, Jase & Lauren. Jason Hawkins and Lauren Phillips signed off with survey eight, and with Hawkins still under contract at the time, ARN’s chief content officer Duncan Campbell told Mediaweek in December that his new role would be announced “early next year”.
That announcement has come, although probably not the expected one from last year. In another twist for the radio landscape, the pair will be the new hosts of Nova 100’s breakfast show in Melbourne.
This shuffle sees Nova 100’s current breakfast show team, Ben, Liam & Belle being moved to host a new national show – Late Drive – from 6pm to 8pm weekdays.
Lauren Phillips said, “I’m beyond excited to be joining the Nova family. l’ve been a longtime fan of the station and to be joining Nova 100 really is a dream come true. I’ve made the most of having a few months off, but my plans of becoming a professional dog walker are now on hold, and I’m so ready to get back to work with Jase here in Melbourne.”
Jason Hawkins said, “I’m wrapped to have a job again. I’m even more over the moon that we get to join Nova. My whole career, I have always wanted to be a part of this network, it’s the perfect fit for Loz and I. So, I’m sorry Nova, we’re never leaving. Melbourne, we’re back! So join us and come over to Nova.”
Brendan Taylor, group programming director for the Nova Network, spoke about the new lineup, saying “Lauren and Jase are world-class radio broadcasters and their track record speaks for itself. As hosts of the second-highest rating show in Melbourne, we knew their blend of humour, honesty and chemistry would feel right at home on the Nova network. We had to pursue this opportunity and not let a great team disappear from the airways. The timing was right and they’re such a natural fit for us. We can’t wait to welcome them to the Nova family.”
Speaking on the Ben, Liam & Belle move, he added “Ben, Liam & Belle are an incredibly talented hosting team and we knew they had great potential when they joined the Nova Network straight from Triple J’s national breakfast show back in 2020. They’ve since delivered some outstanding results and have developed a great connection to their audience during their time with the network. We’re excited they’ll be at the helm of this newly created Late Drive show and taking their unique content back to a national audience.”
In further programming changes, Nova will also be introducing a new live and local workday slot from 9am-2pm. The new workday slots will be hosted by Mel Tracina in Melbourne, Adam Price in Sydney, Daniel Cassin in Adelaide, Maddy Rowe in Brisbane and Ross Wallman in Perth.