One headline says Kyle’s back, the other says, LabRat will take over his shift. According to the Nielsen survey just released, the 2Day-FM breakfast show lost around 18% of its audience causing a 2.2 fall to a 9.8% share of people 10+ 5:30-9:00 am Mon-Fri. It slid from second to third on the ratings ladder. That sort of seismic shift in share cannot be ignored by management. The question is; did listeners desert Sandilands because of the lie detector stunt? Or did they desert 2Day because Kyle was off air for two weeks? If it’s the former, LabRat’s looking good for the gig. If the latter, Kyle could be in line for a pay rise. No doubt the programming boffins at Austereo have formed their own view on that, but for the moment it seems they’re content to take an each way bet, playing good cop to Kyle’s bad by suspending him for four weeks without pay. Is it merely a cooling off period or a chance to test a possible replacement?
Coincidentally, Australian Idol’s ratings have also dropped sharply. Despite being axed within days of the lie detector incident, Kyle appeared in the first three pre-taped episodes before being replaced by JayDee Springbett. They may have avoided Kyle in the first three episodes but they’ve failed return for the next seven. What does that tell you?
All this begs the question; How good is Kyle SandilandsWe’re not suggesting for one moment that he is without talent, but is he in the same league as legendary FM breakfast jocks of the past such as Doug Mulray, Andrew Denton or Wendy Harmer?
Would you hire him at Mix106.5 to replace Todd McKenny?
Is it Kyle and Jackie O or the massive investment Austereo’s made into the “brand” that has done most to elevate the 2Day FM breakfast show to #1 in Sydney?
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