SCA has been overhauling its Triple M and Hit network teams as the radio ratings year draws to a close.
The network is in good shape in most markets around the country. Except for a couple of glaring spots.
One is the perennial question about who should host 2Day FM breakfast.
The other is what to do about Triple M breakfast.
The Triple M breakfast shows are in rude health in Adelaide and Brisbane. And the Perth station is on a growth curve.
However the brand could do with a boost in Sydney and Melbourne breakfast.
There has been plenty of speculation about who is getting the prized radio gigs.
New Triple M Melbourne breakfast
There had been strong mail that Hughesy and Kate could be reunited at Triple M Melbourne. However the station has just confimed Mick Molloy is returning to the station where he had so much success as a key member of the long-running Hot Breakfast program. He is being joined on air by former AFL great Nick Riewoldt, Triple M contributor Titus O’Reilly and longtime Triple M anchor Rosie Walton.
Triple M Sydney getting the band back together?
With Mick Molloy departing the scene in Sydney, it leaves a big gap at the station. If the station is going old school in Melbourne, why not try that in Sydney?
Could Matty Johns possibly be in the mix for a return to the breakfast shift? Johns seems to be enjoying life away from breakfast radio, but has SCA got the cash to temp him back? The lure of being able to work with MG again might do it too. But Johns has a busy schedule of podcasts, TV and writing News Corp columns. There’s also the matter of an existing deal with SEN on Fridays.
We should be only days away from official confirmation of who Triple M is putting up for the new Sydney breakfast show.
This is how SCA announced the new Melbourne show this morning:
Mick Molloy, one of Australia’s most loved comedians, alongside being an actor and television and radio presenter, is known for his razor-sharp and irreverent wit. Above all else, he is Triple M to his core. Molloy has been a significant presence on Australian radio, hosting popular Triple M shows including Tough Love, #1 FM Melbourne show The Hot Breakfast, Triple M’s national Drive show Kennedy/Molloy and more recently, Mick & MG in the Morning. His partnerships with fellow comedians have resulted in iconic shows including Martin/Molloy and helped establish Molloy’s enviable career in the Australian entertainment industry.
Known for his love of Australian sports, especially AFL, Molloy’s ‘not-so-saintly’ persona could spark fireworks with retired ‘Saint’ Nick Riewoldt, who never shies away from sharing his opinions, especially when it comes to footy. Riewoldt, who has become a proven media star since retiring from his exceptional AFL career with the St Kilda Football Club, is returning home to Melbourne with his wife and young family following a two-year stint in Texas, USA. During his time overseas Riewoldt remained connected to the Australian media landscape thanks to his weekly appearances on LiSTNR’s Footy Talk podcast, and he even captured the attention of ESPN, who featured him in its 2023 and 2024 Super Bowl television coverage.
On his return to Melbourne radio, Molloy said: “I’m excited to be back behind the mic in my hometown, talking about all things Melbourne, with some of my favourite people every morning. There’s a fair chance that the Tigers may come up from time to time; what could possibly go wrong?”
Riewoldt said: “After two rewarding years in Houston, Texas with Cath’s family, I’m excited to be returning home to Melbourne joining Mick and the Triple M Breakfast team back where it all started for me on radio. Triple M is a vibrant part of Melbourne’s heartbeat, celebrating the city’s spirit, its music, and its people. To be bringing the sounds and stories of Melbourne to life every day through our listeners is a privilege I don’t take for granted.”
SCA Chief Content Officer, Dave Cameron said: “The opportunity to ask Mick to return to headline Triple M Melbourne’s new Breakfast show was simply too good to resist, and to hear him back on ‘home turf’ just feels right. Additionally, locking Nick Riewoldt in to join Triple M permanently upon his exciting return from overseas is a real coup. Both Mick and Nick have huge love in Melbourne, and this new Breakfast show is destined to become one of the city’s biggest and most exciting local shows. We know how much Melbourne radio listeners just want Melbourne radio personalities at Breakfast, and this show will dial that love up even more.”
See also: Triple M returns Marty Sheargold to drive as Brisbane’s Rush Hour is axed