Melbourne radio legend Lee Simon has announced his retirement from Triple M after 47 years of service to the Australian radio industry.
Lee was the founding program director of Australia’s first commercial FM station, EON FM (now known as Triple M).
Simon shared the news of retirement on Triple M’s Hot Breakfast this morning.
He started his radio career at 3AW, followed by 2BE, 3DB, 7HT, 2NX, 2SM and 3XY before joining EON/Triple M. Lee has held the positions of radio presenter, producer, general manager and programmer.
As a presenter he interviewed big names such as from Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Lou Reed and Led Zeppelin. In the 70s and 80s he was host of Australia’s groundbreaking adult rock TV show, Seven’s Nightmoves.
During his time as program director at Triple M, Simon helped forge the careers of The D-Generation, Richard Stubbs, Jennifer Keyte, Brigitte Duclos, Brian Taylor and the then-junior sports reporter Eddie McGuire.
Affectionately known as the Godfather of Rock by his Triple M colleagues and contemporaries, Lee brought football to FM radio in 1997, overseeing Triple M’s first AFL rights deal. He has been executive producer of Triple M’s AFL call ever since.