Faine,who has been the morning’s presenter at ABC Radio Melbourne for 23 years,announced in January he would be hanging up the headphones at the end of the year.Trioli was widely tipped to be his replacement and earlier this year told this masthead she would welcome the opportunity.
Trioli has hostedABC News Breakfast since 2008. She has recently filled in for Faine as well as for Tony Jones on ABC TV’sQ&A.
Her shift to radio would mean a brief - but nonetheless welcome - sleep-in,after just over a decade of 3am starts.
Trioli described the Melbourne mornings timeslot as “one of the most precious radio jobs in the country”.
“Jon and the ABC Melbourne team,for more than two decades,have created an agenda-setting and community-building program that means so much not only to Melburnians,but to anyone who values great conversation and the vital need for the continuing contest of ideas,” she said.
“Radio is in my soul and I'm pinching myself that this once-in-a-career opportunity has come my way. Melbourne - we're going to make great radio together.”
Trioli is also the hot tip to replace Jones on Q&A when he leaves the program to move to China with his partner Sarah Ferguson who was made the ABC's China bureau chief earlier this year. The later starts for the morning radio slot will make it easier for Trioli to accommodate both roles.