Major shakeup in radio: Who is the familiar voice taking over Ray Hadley's spot on 4BC Brisbane?
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A new day has dawned at 4BC in Brisbane, and it's accompanied by a rather different, albeit familiar, voice.
Ray Hadley, a popular radio personality who has been the city's morning companion for the last eight years, has been unseated. The frequency that once echoed with Hadley’s voice is now replaced by the distinct voice of journalist Bill McDonald.
This has left many avid listeners slightly bewildered as they tuned in on Monday morning to a rather unexpected voice breaking the day.
Bill McDonald is a Brisbane-based seasoned journalist who has covered events stretching from the Commonwealth and Olympic Games to the 2008 Gap floods. He mentioned that he is looking forward to being on air in Brisbane.
‘I’m excited to host 4BC Mornings to connect with our listeners, discussing issues that are impacting our own neighbourhoods every single day,’ McDonald said.
He added: ‘I have lived in Brisbane my whole life and will stand up for where we live as much as possible.’
The change was anticipated as Hadley was expected to exit the Brisbane market by the end of the year after it was reported he’d secured a $3 million contract with Nine Entertainment until the end of 2016.
4BC Content Manager Max Dudley expressed excitement to the show’s new host.
‘I’m excited to welcome Bill McDonald as our new Morning host, adding another program to our live and local offering on 4BC,’ he said.
Dudley also stated that the hosts will provide more local-focused content across Queensland.
‘It’s a big year ahead for Brisbane with council and state elections, not to mention the ongoing build towards the 2032 Games, and I have no doubt Bill will champion the issues that matter most to our listeners.’
Dudley didn't let the moment pass without tipping his hat to Hadley's notable contributions over the years.
Dudley reminisced, 'Eight years ago, Ray added 4BC to his large list of network stations and has made a huge impact in Brisbane and across Queensland.'
‘We’re delighted Ray will still be heard across the Brisbane airwaves during the Continuous Call Team, State of Origin, NRL Finals and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games,’ he added.
Such a surprising swap at 4BC in Brisbane comes on the heels of the latest ratings, which showed that Hadley’s programme had the highest share of the station's audience, with 7 per cent.
Some of the Brisbane listeners seemed to embrace the change in their local radio show, with one person saying: 'I have loved listening to Ray, but am thrilled that you're going to be bringing us up to speed from here in Queensland.'
‘A fresh change—I like it. Have to admit I didn't see it coming, though,’ another person remarked.
‘I do like the Ray Hadley show, but I have always been a supporter of a locally produced show. This is great news, and congrats to Bill for his new show and looking forward to hearing so much local content back on our airwaves,’ a third person wrote on social media.
Meanwhile, some were not happy with this new development. One social media user commented: ‘Been a 4BC listener since 1983, time to go elsewhere or stream 2GB on the net.’
‘You dropping Ray Hadley, well, watch your ratings plummet. At least we’ve got the app, we can listen directly to 2GB,’ another stated.
‘Sorry to be the downer, but I don’t agree with what 4BC have done. Ray was a great way to wake up on a morning and always was straight to the point with matters not just in Queensland but all across Australia,’ someone else pointed out.
We wish Hadley and McDonald all the best as they enter their new roles.
What do you think of this change, members? Have you noticed it on the morning radio show? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Ray Hadley, a popular radio personality who has been the city's morning companion for the last eight years, has been unseated. The frequency that once echoed with Hadley’s voice is now replaced by the distinct voice of journalist Bill McDonald.
This has left many avid listeners slightly bewildered as they tuned in on Monday morning to a rather unexpected voice breaking the day.
Rad Hadley (left) has been replaced by Bill McDonald (right) in 4BC Brisbane’s Morning show. Credit: The Ray Hadley Morning Show/Facebook and @bandt/X (Twitter)
Bill McDonald is a Brisbane-based seasoned journalist who has covered events stretching from the Commonwealth and Olympic Games to the 2008 Gap floods. He mentioned that he is looking forward to being on air in Brisbane.
‘I’m excited to host 4BC Mornings to connect with our listeners, discussing issues that are impacting our own neighbourhoods every single day,’ McDonald said.
He added: ‘I have lived in Brisbane my whole life and will stand up for where we live as much as possible.’
The change was anticipated as Hadley was expected to exit the Brisbane market by the end of the year after it was reported he’d secured a $3 million contract with Nine Entertainment until the end of 2016.
4BC Content Manager Max Dudley expressed excitement to the show’s new host.
‘I’m excited to welcome Bill McDonald as our new Morning host, adding another program to our live and local offering on 4BC,’ he said.
Dudley also stated that the hosts will provide more local-focused content across Queensland.
‘It’s a big year ahead for Brisbane with council and state elections, not to mention the ongoing build towards the 2032 Games, and I have no doubt Bill will champion the issues that matter most to our listeners.’
Dudley didn't let the moment pass without tipping his hat to Hadley's notable contributions over the years.
Dudley reminisced, 'Eight years ago, Ray added 4BC to his large list of network stations and has made a huge impact in Brisbane and across Queensland.'
‘We’re delighted Ray will still be heard across the Brisbane airwaves during the Continuous Call Team, State of Origin, NRL Finals and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games,’ he added.
Such a surprising swap at 4BC in Brisbane comes on the heels of the latest ratings, which showed that Hadley’s programme had the highest share of the station's audience, with 7 per cent.
Some of the Brisbane listeners seemed to embrace the change in their local radio show, with one person saying: 'I have loved listening to Ray, but am thrilled that you're going to be bringing us up to speed from here in Queensland.'
‘A fresh change—I like it. Have to admit I didn't see it coming, though,’ another person remarked.
‘I do like the Ray Hadley show, but I have always been a supporter of a locally produced show. This is great news, and congrats to Bill for his new show and looking forward to hearing so much local content back on our airwaves,’ a third person wrote on social media.
Meanwhile, some were not happy with this new development. One social media user commented: ‘Been a 4BC listener since 1983, time to go elsewhere or stream 2GB on the net.’
‘You dropping Ray Hadley, well, watch your ratings plummet. At least we’ve got the app, we can listen directly to 2GB,’ another stated.
‘Sorry to be the downer, but I don’t agree with what 4BC have done. Ray was a great way to wake up on a morning and always was straight to the point with matters not just in Queensland but all across Australia,’ someone else pointed out.
We wish Hadley and McDonald all the best as they enter their new roles.
What do you think of this change, members? Have you noticed it on the morning radio show? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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