Richard King responds to 2HD axing
20Jan09

Former 2HD drive announcer Richard King has responded to his recent abrupt axing from the station with a letter published in today’s Newcastle Herald.

Apparently upset with some of the comments made to media by station manager Guy Ashford, King felt obliged to set the story straight:

Ratings Issue News To Me

The article “Stations change of tune” (Herald 14/1) contains information regarding my involvement at 2HD that I wish to clarify

The item suggests the “high profile exits” of three people. including myself, would be the panacea for “ailing” radio stations 2HD and NEWFM.

I am employed as a casual announcer, paid only for the hours I work on air. The departure of a 15-hour-week casual is hardly a “high profile exit”.

Second, the article states “the axing of Richard King’s program is a response to ratings”.

Since I returned to 2HD the drive show ratings have increased from 9 per cent (fourth position) in June 2006, to 11 per cent (third) by late 2008. The final survey last year went against the trend. That survey produced anomalous results for many programs in this marketplace.

In an apparent reference to my “axing”, Guy Ashford is quoted as saying: “Its certainly not a cost cutting exercise:. That is not my recollection of the conversation I had with Mr Ashford and Steve St John on January 11.

Nor do I recollect any mention of ratings. At that meeting I was advised of my immediate omission form the weekday drive show.

We all agreed out conversation was private and confidential, but as Mr Ashford has chosen to make public certain statements that could harm my future employment prospects, I felt it necessary to set the record straight.

Richard King

The fact that Richard was one of only 3 local weekday announcers (Mornings and Evenings are networked and now Drive is too) and that he had a strong following on-air makes him more high profile than he may humbly suggest. That he was only paid as a casual was not known to his listeners, many of whom have been commenting on this site and expressing their disappointment at King’s axing.

Clearly the stories coming out of 2HD are contradictory to what Mr King was told and what has been discussed within the industry.

The question now is: will Ashford and Caralis be as ruthless in cutting networked programs if they fail in the ratings, or are the cost savings more important than the audience?

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Posted under Radio

24 Responses to “Richard King responds to 2HD axing”

Just got back from hols and back to work. Driving home – tuned in for my daily dose of trivia questions – what did I get?????? Stupid sports talk. Sorry – you guys have lost a listener.

Comment by alicen charlton on January 21st, 2009

If you spell 2HD backwards does it really spell 2SM .who can believe that the once great 2HD in Newcastle only has 2 local announcers I think 2RE has at least 3 at the moment.

Comment by radio nut on January 21st, 2009

Why are 2HD still calling themselves the home of the Newcastle Knights when they don’t have any rights to call the games or to the NRL? Is it just because Luke Grant has the coach and couple of the players on the show every week?

Comment by Julie on January 21st, 2009

not good HD
lost me as a listner

Comment by steve on January 21st, 2009

2HD has become somewhat irrelevant. It’s a sad shell of a station which pretty much only re-produces syndicated programs.

New-FM should seriously consider doing something about it’s morning show. It’s only when it ends that I tune back in for the rest of the day at work.

Prefer to listen to Steve and Kim on NXFM (despite the repetition of the same songs every morning)

Comment by Kevin on January 22nd, 2009

I’m getting sick and tired of 2HD losing the ‘link’ to Sydney and us the listeners, having to put up with ‘taped’ music until the link is established again. Newcastle is big enough now to have it’s own full time on air presenters ALL THE TIME and that means 24/7.
Come on guys give us some ‘real’ radio for a change.

Comment by Irene on January 22nd, 2009

Since I’ve hadn’t heard that Richard King is not on in the afternoon on 2HD. The afternoon programs have gone flat and going down hill fast. The rugby league show WHOOPS THE SPORTS SHOW IS SO BORING TURN TO OTHER STATION STRAIGHT AWAY. At lest when the Richard King Show was on 2HD it had variety with guest speakers and fun competions and benefical to the community. I have sent e-mail to 2SM on their site but no response. It is a great pity to see the station 2HD in the eighties and nineties they were number one {Richard and luke where there}but now by having relay programs some from Sydney NOW 2HD CONTINUES TO SLIDE TO NUMBER 3 in our city. WHAT A SUPER NETWORK WE HAVE????

Comment by val mcewan on January 23rd, 2009

Here’s what 2HD need to do to get back on top:
1.) Reinstate local programming of an afternoon either be it music from the 60s, 70s and maybe top end of the 80s or talk back, they can’t do both because it just doesn’t work
2.)If they need to network a evening program at all Stuart Vocking at 2UE but then again there is an opportunity for local programming Richard KING would be good in the evening slot
3.) Get rid of the news service and replace it with the Fairfax News Service or something because the Super radio network news service simply doesn’t cut it.Most of the news readers sound like startled year 10 kids on work experience.
4.) Look at other options for sport programming other then “Talkin’ Sport” eg: “Sports Today” which is REALLY good.

All it’ll take is a little money, time and effort but it would seem they are too weak to do it at the Super radio network

Comment by Julie on January 25th, 2009

I have been a avid 2HD listener for many many years and also am a Richard King fan, however I am definitely NOT a fan of Talkin Sport and the way the staion has treated Richard. 2HD you have just lost another loyal listener. Watch the ratings slide to bring this once proud station to obscurity. NO MORE 2HD FOR ME.

Comment by Pete on January 25th, 2009

Sorry 2HD you have lost me too! I don’t mind Talkin Sport for the hour we used to listen BUT I really miss Richard.

Comment by Ann on January 28th, 2009

Caralis started to lose the plot when Dave Gillies and the psychic hour with Noela was stopped. All local content and talent gone. I hear that Noela is now going to TV.
Goodbye 2HD and NewFM.

Comment by Chris on January 28th, 2009

Not impressed when working I loved listening to Richard you have lost me byeeeeee

Comment by Anne on January 30th, 2009

This Caralis doesn’t have any knowledge of Newcastle listeners likes and dislikes and of the loyalty of the listeners to 2HD.My wife are avid listeners of Luke Grant, Steve Price, Pete Davis and Richard King also my wife listens to Graham Gilbert.
The only announcers that we turn off immediately are Mike Ravitt and that pain in the butt Carter Edwards. Also we agree with all comments made by other participants.

Comment by Doug Peterson on February 2nd, 2009

Wow not happy Jan!!!!!
That will do me…just found out about Richard King..He is one of the best Radio operators I have ever known…a real radio announcer..you have lost me.Losing people like that is huge mistake!! He was so good to listen too..
a real legend!!! Disgusting decision

Comment by Simon on February 2nd, 2009

Extremely disappointed that Richard King has been dumped and replaced by a boring sports show.I now switch off. I feel that the very young sounding female news readers with the thin, reedy voices need some voice projection training and news reading coaching as it is painful to listen to.
WE NEED MUCH MORE LOCAL CONTENT!!

Comment by Pat on February 24th, 2009

Richard King was washed up when he left 2UW and has never made it to Shore,

Comment by Brenda Gale on February 25th, 2009

Hi Art Ryan,
Good on you mate 110%, remember you as a GOOD GUY in the late 60’s.
As an ex mid dawn jock at HD I can say I saw the Caralis demise of his sandgate operations very early in the piece and actually predicted todays topics when I found out he made his first fortune in fruit and vegies at the Sydney Markets.The Labour party had better
radio ideas than caralais and his son has.
News is probably the worst I have ever heard with an endless supply of uni students that just know everythng about broadcasting from Newcastle Uni.The Uni should be warning their young students about the Caralis Stench in the industry.

Every thing above is completely true, the man in question should be back where he belongs in the fruit and vegies business. He has abused the good fortune of being accepted as an imigrant to our country and then repays his good fortune by ruining a local small industry of advertising , broadcasting sales,jobs for sales people,journalists,copy writers ,people in traffic in radio(Roger Clements) technical people in radio and many others that are indirectly affected by the activities of this so called smart intelligent interlectual business man. I can assure some of the above idiots that Mr Caralis did not make his original spending money from radio stations so get that right out of your heads.
He is a very dangerous man to have in Australian society and really should be removed from the radio industry as a player as Art Ryan says above.
Apart from his brainless actions at trying to play clever business man he has destroyed and will destroy the asperations of our young.What worse is there.He has Betrayed his migration to Ausse. Why don’t you pull up what ever stakes you have left and go back where ever you came from Caralis, We don’t want or need your type here in Australia.

Comment by MACKA on February 26th, 2009

Sorry to see you go its been great listening you.You have been reliable honest and very interesting ,now the afternoons have become boring and not at all worth listening to .Thank you richard for all the enjoyment you have given your listeners.I wish you the very best in the future.Yours truly, Eve .

Comment by eve on March 1st, 2009

I have finally found out about the deplorable treatment given to Richard King by the management of 2HD. I enjoy listening to Luke Grant of a morning (I just wish that the music library would expand) but I now listen to the ABC of an afternoon – not really exciting, but far better than a group blokes raving on about the same things over and over again. Don’t get me started about the (apparent) school leavers reading the news from Sydney who have (seemingly) never made it out of their own back yard. Local is best – and Richard King is sorely missed. Please let me know where he is working (if he is still in radio) and I will do my best to listen in. A more polished, informed, down-to-earth gentleman we will never find.

Comment by Kenn Whatson on April 17th, 2009

Another listener tunes to another station driving home from work.
Big mistake stopping Richard King’s show.
Current program (sport show) if that what you like to call it does not stand up to old show.
Should have left Sydney listeners lisen to it.

Comment by Jozef Francer on September 24th, 2009

Isn’t it time you bigboys started listening to what the listening audience wants and not what you think it wants. I have listened to 2hd for years, I love talk-back – Richard King and Pete Davis should be brought back with a huge fanancial incentive (so this is why Iam disinterested with afternoon radio now) – and please return Buy Sell Swap to Sundays as you have lost a listener to my favourite 2NURs Straight down The Middle, I can’t miss this but would welcome BSS back to Sundays.
Do not interfere with Graeme Gilbert and Gary Stuart or you will lose me forever……
Luke Grant is not so bad, a bit crude at times but he can be funny too.
I tolerate the fishing on Sunday morns because we must abide by others likes and dislikes, but when Steve Price and is cronies get on about sport I’m bored to bits so its the off switch. You might also have a word in his ear about his abruptness with listeners, he is rude at times and could take a leaf out of Richard Kings book, you too it seems.
Thats it, I’ve had my say, will you listen?

Comment by dottii on December 1st, 2009

Carter Edwards has lost half of his real listeners since the reduction in week-end country music and it appears that country will dissappear fully before long, at that time a big majority of those listeners still left will go to 1269 Saturday,Monday,Tuesday & Wednesday country some to 1037 Sunday and at that time it will be up to Carter to turn out the lights at 2HD as there will be nothing local about Newcastle’s “Local” radio worth tuning in to.Lights out shut the door shut the station.

Comment by Joseph Williams on December 27th, 2009

2HD now have nothing to offer. The mumbling, stumbling Richard is back; one would think they were listening to Porky Pig. After 9am we get Steve Liebmann, nice guy but what a boring show. Then after midday it’s the monotonous drone of John Carroll. I’m busy rigging up an aerial to try and pick up 2GB.

Comment by Dave on August 5th, 2010

2HD IN NEWCASTLE SHOULD BE SOLD TO MACQUARIE RADIO NETWORK & HAVE ALAN JONES, RAY HADLEY, CHRIS SMITH, BEN FORDHAM, ROSS GREENWOOD, BRIAN WILSHIRE, MICHAAL MCCLAREN, WAKE UP AUSTRALIA, MIKE WILLIAMS, THE FISHING/GOLF SHOWAS< THE GARDEN CLINIC, HOME IMPROVMENT SATURDAY/SUNDAY, RELESTATE, THE CONTINUIOUS CALL TEAME/WEEKEN DENTENTION SUMMER EDDITION/THE C TEAM, Gleen Wheeler, LIFE IN TECHMOLLEGY, Yiur Health with Dr Graham Malooof & Sunday Night Crews with Bill Crews/Jay Basik.
2HD SOUOD BE APRT OF MACQUARIE NATIONAL NEWS DUE TO SUPER RADIO NETWORK NEWS BEING A Z GRADE NEWS SERVICE!

Comment by JASON FROM BORONIA VICTORIA on April 3rd, 2011

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