There aren’t too many radio mountains that Mick Molloy hasn’t climbed, but until now, Sydney Breakfast radio was one of them. However, 2023 has seen Molloy able to add that feather to his cap, with Molloy and MG in the Morning officially launching on Sydney’s 104.9 Triple M.
Taking his place behind the mic alongside Molloy is Mark ‘MG’ Geyer, who comes to the show as an existing co-host of the Triple M Breakfast show, and who was previously part of The Grill Team Breakfast show in 2009 and then The Rush Hour. Natarsha Belling also joins the show as newsreader.
Mediaweek spoke to Mick Molloy about making the move from Melbourne, and what team he’s set to support now that he’s found himself firmly in NRL territory.
Mick, Natarsha and MG
Having switched on the mics alongside Geyer for the first time on January 16th, Molloy says that the entire move so far has been “like a big adventure.”
“It’s fantastic. I just love radio.
“I’ve had a long history at Triple M, but I’ve never really done Sydney breakfast before – I did about four months with Andrew Denton when I was filling in for Amanda Keller. It’s a big challenge and it’s one I’d like to be able to tick off before I finally pull up stumps.”
Moving to Sydney from his hometown of Melbourne may not have been too much of a physical leap, but the new city and new market present a whole new set of quirks and intricacies for Molloy to get his head around.
“It’s exciting to be in another market, and it’s quite interesting not to be on your home ground. Everything’s new and slightly unusual – when Ryan Gosling closes the Harbour Bridge, the reactions of people in this town are endlessly fascinating to me. I love asking questions and working out what makes a city tick.
“I’ve been here before, but it’s like hit and run! I come up here for a weekend or a week, and then I go back to the airport. To have a sustained period of time of boots on the ground, it’s fun. I’m already enjoying it on and off air.”
In November 2021, Molloy announced that he was hanging up the headphones on Triple M’s national Molloy Drive program after first joining the show alongside Jane Kennedy in 2017. The move to Sydney breakfast marks his return to the radio airwaves.
Jane Kennedy and Mick Molloy
“I was ready for time off radio, because I’d done breakfast in Melbourne and then went to national drive. That was a sustained run-up of 11 years, which is the longest continuous employment I’ve had from anyone, anywhere in my adult life! So it was great to just come up for air and put my energy into something else.
“I always said I was going to come back to radio, but I didn’t think it’d be this quick – big opportunities like this don’t come up every day. It’s probably the biggest market, the biggest city, and something I hadn’t done.”
Of course, the location isn’t the only change for Molloy – during his successful years on Triple M Melbourne breakfast, the show didn’t start until 7am. In Sydney, mics are on at 6am.
“We’ll see how long I can sustain that! But that’s the intention at this point. Especially when you’re in a new market, you need to be here – I get up at five and read the papers every day, it’s a crash course.”
Melbourne hasn’t completely lost Molloy however, as he will still be back frequently to host Channel Seven’s The Front Bar alongside Andy Maher and Sam Pang.
When it comes to balancing the two, he says that “there’ll be a show or two a week while The Front Bar is on from Melbourne, but Sydney is the main base.”
Molloy, Pang, and Maher on The Front Bar
Back in Sydney, Molloy and MG in the Morning co-host, Geyer, is a former rugby league legend for the Penrith Panthers, and was an Australian International and NSW State of Origin second rower before retiring and moving to a media career.
Despite being a big Richmond Tigers fan, Molloy will be keeping most of his AFL knowledge for The Front Bar, laughing that “this is an NRL town, that’s one thing I’ve learned pretty quickly!”
“That’s what makes listeners tick, that’s what makes Triple M tick, we’ll be talking NRL. If something sits outside of the actual sport itself – something like ‘Buddy Franklin was involved in…’ or the State of Origin in Melbourne – then I think it’s fair game. Otherwise, you have to respect the place you are.
“People might not be happy when I mention that I’m a Melbourne Storm fan, that’ll be like throwing a hand grenade into the room – but let the games begin!”
The Sydney market is notorious for letting people know exactly what they think, and in no uncertain terms. So far, Molloy says that the response to Molloy and MG in the Morning has been “warmer than I’d expected.”
“I understand when someone comes to town they can get roughed up pretty quickly, and that it’s sport for a lot of people – I do it myself! But I have to say, I’ve been quite surprised and happy that it’s been largely warm.
“The listeners seem to like it, Triple M seems to like it. This conversation could be redundant next week when I get sent home packing, but at the moment it all feels good. I’m enjoying the experience.”