ABC's hosts of problems

By Nicole Brady
September 22, 2005
Jon Faine - he 
came very close to 
adding to the 
ABC's present 

Jon Faine - he came very close to adding to the ABC's present headaches.
Photo: Supplied

IF YOU think the ABC is having trouble deciding who will get the plum job of host of 774's drive show - things could have been worse. The respected and high-rating host of the morning show, Jon Faine, recently came close to hanging up his microphone.

Radio Waves hears that Faine was offered a job in the legal community and came close to accepting it. But once ABC management got wind of his potential resignation Faine was reassured of their love and appreciation for him and decided to stay on.

There is no doubting ABC brass would have been shocked to lose Faine. Following the departure of Virginia Trioli, he is their one hard-hitter left on air. With the search for Trioli's successor progressing embarrassingly slowly - and listeners being subjected to a series of fortnight-long on-air auditions - imagine how much worse things would be if a replacement was also needed for the morning show?

As was shown when he took extended leave earlier this year, Faine's gig is a tough one. Even the seasoned Crikey founder Stephen Mayne, no stranger to the pressure high-profile journalists face, remarked on air at the end of a week of filling in as morning host that it was about the most stressful job he had ever done.

Faine would not be drawn but said: "I am very lucky to have a fabulous job and look forward to doing it every day."

· ABC sport has scored something of a coup, bagging Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse to join its commentary team for the grand final.

As well as being a recent two-time premiership loser, Malthouse was the last coach to steer the West Coast Eagles to victory in a grand final. So his insights should be worth hearing.

Which is just as well, because while the other football broadcasters are dedicating the whole day to the final, the ABC's commentary team does not hit the airwaves until its usual time of 1pm. Before that, Tonya Roberts is doing her regular morning, followed by the Coodabeen Champions who are broadcasting from the MCG.

3AW starts the day from outside the North Melbourne grand final breakfast. Darren James will cover the event (and do a brief version of Buy, Swap and Sell). Bruce Mansfield will join him from 7am until 10am.

The Glossing Over crew then takes over from outside the MCG and runs until noon, at which point Rex Hunt and the footy team present their preview program up to the first bounce of the Sherrin at 2.30pm. AW is extending its coverage until 7pm.

Triple M's Saturday morning sports show, the Deadset Legends, will also be setting up shop outside the MCG from 9am until noon.

The footy preview team then steps into the booth, to be located next to light tower number five. Listeners are invited to stop by. From 2pm, the commentary team will call from inside the ground.
