Gold Coast station Hot Tomato has announced that local personality Suki Mead is back in town and will host the breakfast show with Program Director Rob McCasker.
Suki was previously Sea FM’s high profile breakfast presenter. She and McCasker will replace former Hot Tomato breakfast team Luke Bradnam and Emily Jade O’Keefe.
The high profile Suki returns to radio after a one year absence from the Gold Coast airwaves. “I love being on-air and Hot Tomato made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” said Suki, who has often been offered prime time on-air shifts with major stations in Australia’s capital cities.
Last year Suki was awarded a Gold Coast Citizen award for her charitable and community work and has received numerous industry awards.
Her interests and skills include writing and photography. She is currently writing a novel and in 2001, entered a larger than life sized portrait of Olympic Swimming Coach, Laurie Lawrence for the Archibald Prize.
During her time off from radio Suki has been “working on some funny and scary children’s stories. I’ve been setting up my new home, settling my three daughters into their new school, battling the heat, the river rats and going insane with housework. I’ve got RSI from ringing out the dishcloth. I knew I had to get back to work because my addiction to Dr. Phil and Oprah was getting serious. Ironing while watching cable TV should be outlawed. It’s a dangerous combination.”
Hot Tomato is right next door to her children’s school – so Suki plans to sneak out for a few hours of tuck-shop duty occasionally. She feels she will be able to relate to radio listeners with young families and is looking forward to the next phase of her broadcasting career.
Suki also wanted to acknowledge the support of the thousands of people who encouraged her to go back on air. “Now they bloody well better listen…I’m getting up at 3.30 in the morning because they wanted me back on air.”
Hot Tomato General Manager Graham Miles told radioinfo: “Suki Mead is a real catch for us. We know how popular she is on the Gold and Tweed Coasts and look forward to creating more great radio with her.”
Co-Host and PD Rob McCasker says: “It seems like everyone on the Gold Coast wants Suki back on air and we are delighted to provide that opportunity. Suki always brings great fun to morning radio. She is a standout broadcaster, performer and celebrity and she is a natural fit for Hot Tomato and our audience.”
As a result of the new breakfast team there are some other shift changes at the station. Graham Miles told radioinfo: “Luke and Emily have worked hard and put great effort into building the existing audience. Luke and Emily will continue to play important roles
in the growth of Hot Tomato.
“Luke remains in Breakfast focused on the
second great love in his life – sport. Emily moves onto the 12-3 afternoon position. Renae King will continue in the Breakfast Producing position.”
102.9 Hot Tomato began broadcasting on August 1st. 2003 and the station’s first unofficial survey showed that, after 12 weeks on-air, Hot Tomato had an overall share of 21% of Gold Coast listeners.