Hot Tomato has announced two more appointments to its team for the new Gold Coast station – a Music Director and on-air announcer.
Simon Mountain has been appointed Music Director.
Mountain arrives at Hot Tomato by way of Perth. Most recently he claims he’s been wrestling dogs and reading Gas meters, but he’s also worked for 92.9 in Perth, twice, on-air and in the music library, as well as Canberra’s FM 104.7, along with stints in TV for Channel’s 7 Sydney and Canberra, and 9 in Perth.
In addition to his chores as Music Director for Hot Tomato, Mountain will also be on air. “I’m just so very excited to be a part of this venture!” he says. “The chance to build a music product from the ground up is an amazing opportunity and we’ll create something the Gold Coast will love listening to twenty four/seven.”
“I’m getting asked a lot about what sort of format Hot Tomato will adopt and well, just at the moment we don’t have many CD’s, so I’ll be spending plenty of time at Cash Converters searching for those lost classics…you know the great 80’s hair-bands like Twisted Sister and maybe some traditional Polka music. The best thing though is the Hot Tomato management don’t seem to mind I’m tone deaf!”
Hot Tomato Program Director Rob McCasker says he’s had his eye on Simon Mountain for some time and there was a meeting of the musical minds when he first spoke to him about working at Hot Tomato. “Simon’s knowledge of music is kinda scary, and I know he will deliver a dynamic, compelling music universe for our listeners. If you love great music, Hot Tomato will be the station for you.”
Luke Bradnam has joined the station’s on-air lineup.
Born and raised on the Gold Coast, Bradnam’s radio career started with B105 in Brisbane and has taken him as far away as Darwin, NT. Most recently he was with Triple M Brisbane. Bradnam is “thrilled to be able to work for the first time the greatest on earth, the Gold Coast.”
Hans Torv, Managing Director of The Hot Tomato Broadcasting Company told radioinfo: “Luke offered to work for us for nothing – how could we resist him? It was an offer too good to refuse.”
“As well as radio Luke performs stand up comedy and he says as long as the audience is made up purely of family and sympathetic friends he can usually crack it for a laugh or two. Luke’s mother Jan said she occasionally laughed at his jokes to make him feel better.”
Bradnam is currently on ABC’s “the Fat” on a Friday night. He has teamed up with his identical twin brother Ashley to perform some obscure interviews with sporting identities.
Rob McCasker, Program Director at The Hot Tomato Broadcasting Company, has confirmed Luke’s role will involve at least 3 days a week in a tomato suit.