From the very start,the pair faced major obstacles.
Symons made no secret of the facthe’d been elbowed out of his early morning slot. Inevitably,his replacements would bear the brunt of listeners’ anger. Many switched off in protest,while others scrutinised the new hosts with a hypercritical ear,seizing upon every misstep.
And there were many:though Parsons and Shah had each proven themselves in previous radio ventures,they failed to gel as a duo. At best,their program was uneven;hampered by stilted conversation and forced banter.
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Unfortunately,these problems were resolvedafter their ratings crashed. Over the past few weeks,they have improved substantially. Shah is less prone to interrupting Parsons – to the benefit of both – and is a better interviewer. They sound more at ease;comfortably shifting between hard news and softer fare. The quality of their talkback segments has also lifted.
“We get really articulate feedback from audiences – and we do listen to it,” Mason says. “I just hope people will give them another go … we’ve got a breakfast show that’s really strong now.”
Shah,he predicts,“will be a leading public intellectual within a few years”,and he praises Parsons for being “as Melbourne as Melbourne can be”.
Unencumbered by commercial imperatives,ABC has the luxury of time. “We’re playing the long game,” Mason says.
Red Symons made it clear he was elbowed out of ABC's breakfast slot.Credit:ABC
He insists he'll hold tight,even if ratings don’t immediately improve. “In 2019,2020,we’ll hopefully start to see some green shoots.
“Ratings are not the only factor. We can have a radio station that’s rating through the roof but doesn’t represent the values of that city. We do quality radio.”
Without the lavish promotional budgets of its rivals,ABC relies more on social media and broadcasts outside the studio. One seemingly under-utilised option is to advertise on ABC’s television channels. “We definitely want to do that because there’s a massive crossover between[ABC’s TV and radio audiences].”
Mason produces a second graph,depicting the growth in FM listening among people in the 50-plus bracket. Though he’d love to shift ABC Melbourne to the FM band,this is unlikely for several reasons. Instead,he’ll woo new audiences (especially the younger ones he needs to future-proof the station) through online streaming and digital radio.
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“If you didn’t like the[breakfast program] at the beginning,I completely understand that,” he says.
“But the show’s grown ten feet higher. These guys are intelligent. They love Melbourne,they get Melbourne and they’re proud of Melbourne. And I reckon they’re worth another shot.”
Breakfast with Jacinta Parsons and Sami Shahairs 5.30am weekdays on ABC Melbourne.