Ron Wilson will host a live and local breakfast show for Sydney on 2SM beginning on January 13. The show will be built around Wilson to replace Richard King’s Newcastle-based program that is currently heard on 2SM in the morning.
Wilson, 70, currently is part of the Smooth FM breakfast show that can be heard across Sydney. It’s a show that he co-hosts with Bogart Torelli where he is the news presenter.
The news comes after 2SM’s major name, John Laws, hung up his headphones following a career spanning 71 years.
Wilson is understood to have resigned from Smooth FM, a Nova Entertainment-owned radio station, this week.
2SM co-owner Despina Priala said the station approached Wilson.
“He was very interested and keen to come on board to join us at 2SM,” Priala told The Daily Telegraph.
“He is definitely the right fit for us at breakfast in Sydney. The point of difference was that he wanted to work for a family-owned and operated network … and in some ways it might be perhaps an easier ride, a smooth ride.”
The 2SM Super Radio Network has also hired Smooth FM newsreader Mary-Ann Harris, who will read the bulletins during Wilson’s new radio show.
In the latest radio ratings, Smooth FM was Sydney’s number two overall radio station, slightly behind radio ratings leader WSFM. 2SM has not participated in the radio ratings for decades, but Priala and Caralis have flagged that might change.
“Everyone knows Ron Wilson … and he wants to present the real topics, the real stories, to the ordinary Australians who are going to listen to our show in Sydney. He’ll be talking about Sydney issues”, said Priala.
Priala’s brother, station director George Caralis, said Wilson had worked at 2SM in the 1970s.
“We believe that he is going to be very well received. Ron is an incredible brand,” he said.
“He wants to bring his Sydney issues-based conversation to 2SM. He’s previously hosted talkback on 2GB, and interviews on Good Morning Australia. He’s a well-rounded professional.”
Caralis also revealed that 2SM had spent hours interviewing ‘a lot of people’ for positions.
A replacement for Laws is yet to be announced and Confidential understands negotiations are currently underway.
“We had some impressive talent,” he said.
Wilson and Harris will present from 2SMs Pyrmont studios from 5:30am weekdays.
It is the first ‘live and local’ breakfast show on 2SM since 2022 when presenter Marcus Paul was axed after broadcasting a controversial segment.
Story courtesy of The Daily Telegraph.
I would like to know who we will be getting through port Macquarie station 531 next year for breakfast.
I hope it will still be Richard King and not a local music show. If so I will not be listening to it. We in regional N.S.W. and QLD. have had a talkback show for years and love it.
Also I was so disappointed to see the fishing show boys get the sack
Regards Janet Johnson.