Sacked Triple M broadcaster Luke Bona has been handed a lifeline by rival network 2GB. The announcement was made by Ben Fordham on his top rating breakfast show this morning.
Bona will be stepping in for Drive host Clinton Maynard over Easter while also securing a regular spot on Phil O’Neil’s new overnight show across 2GB and 4BC. Starting this week, Bona will deliver The Bona Report live between 4am and 5am every Thursday morning, bringing his signature style to the early morning audience.
Bona was shown the door by Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) last month. The decision was part of a round of redundancies announced by CEO John Kelly. Kelly sent staff an email informing them of further cost-cutting measures, including redundancies, as the media company continues to navigate challenging economic conditions.
Following the axing, Mediaweek spoke with Bona’s producer Tom Denham, who said the news came “as a shock”.
“Because we both sleep during the day, we both woke up to the news,” Denham explained.
Both Denham and Bona had a choice in how they handled the abrupt end. “We saw the writing on the wall,” he says. “We both intuitively thought – we could do this two ways. The right way was to go out admirably. The fact that they gave us that final show? What a gift. Not everyone gets that.”
For Bona, that final broadcast was invaluable. “For him to have that experience meant the world to him – to say goodbye to his listeners and contributors,” Denham says. “I think that will give him a lot of peace of mind.”
Luke Bona on The Night Shift.
Bona’s return comes as 2GB continues to bolster its programming lineup.
Nine Radio’s head of content, Greg Byrnes, outlined to Mediaweek just some of the changes: “Mark Geyer is already a key fixture, joining Maynard each weekday at 5:30pm, co-hosting Wide World of Sports with Adam Hawse on Wednesdays, and lending his voice to the Continuous Call Team over the weekend.
“Sarah McDonald is also drawing strong listener engagement during her Thursday segments with Mark Levy, while Lucy Zelich is making waves alongside Maynard on Wednesdays”.
Pictured: Luke Bona