The Two Murrays 2GB evening program has been axed, causing a flow of complaints from listeners who had grown to enjoy the antics of the two presenters – Murray Wilton and Murray Olds.
Brian Wilshire’s night program now begins earlier, regaining the 7 – 9 pm timeslot which he vacated to make room for the Two Murrays when they joined the station last year.
Murray Wilton will continue to work at 2GB, but Murray Olds left the station when the program was chopped. He is now back at 2UE. He spoke to radioinfo:
radioinfo:”Why was the program axed?”
Olds: They told us they weren’t happy with the ratings figures.
radioinfo:”How did you fell about that?”
Olds: Business is business. They can hire and fire as they like. I have no hard feelings, I’ve been in this industry long enough to know these things happen.
radioinfo:”Was the show’s concept ever viable?”
Olds: Seven to nine at night is always a difficult timeslot, because radio is up against TV’s prime time, but we had great cumes and TSL, plus a very loyal bunch of listeners who complained when we left, so we must have been having some impact.
You need a good lead in for a show like that, and we were not getting it from the earlier programs as much as we would have liked.
radioinfo:”Would that sort of show have worked in some other timeslot?”
Olds: I think it would have rated it’s tits off in afternoons. I think the way we mixed talkback with our own contrasting opinions and styles was a viable concept.
radioinfo:”What are you doing now?”
Olds: I’m producing John Harker for 2UE while Simon Townsend is away. He’s not well. I’ve known Harkes for 20 years and I’ve worked for 2UE in the past – 11 years in various jobs including News Director and Olympics Correspondent, so when Sandi rang I came straight over.
radioinfo:”What are your long term plans?”
Olds: I’ll happily stay here as long as they need me, but I’m also interested in other radio work or TV if it comes my way.
In a further development over the axing of the Two Murrays show, Murray Wilton was brought back to host last Friday’s program after a potential conflict with a car sponsor caused Brian Wilshire to ask not to present the Friday early evening segments.