ABC presenters Sami Shah and Jacinta Parsons are leaving the breakfast timeslot two years after replacing longtime broadcaster Red Symons.
The pair's breakfast contracts with ABC Radio Melbourne were not renewed. Radio sources said the pair would stay with the ABC in some capacity, however it is not known whether they will host a radio show together in the new year. ABC is expected to formally announce its 2020 lineup next week.
ABC Melbourne breakfast radio hosts Jacinta Parsons and Sami Shah.
Comedian Sammy J will step into the breakfast timeslot from 2020. The shake-up represents a departure from the ABC's Radio Melbourne's former strategy of having double-header breakfast programs which are a common feature on FM radio.
In a statement, ABC Radio Melbourne manager Dina Rosendorff thanked Sami and Jacinta for their work over the past two years.
"They are both extremely talented broadcasters and communicators," she said. "They have brought a fresh new sound to breakfast along with a whole lot of new listeners. There is absolutely no way we would want to lose their skills.
"This balance between existing and new audiences will be a focus for us in the new year. That doesn't take away from the exceptional job Sami and Jacinta have done building their show since early 2018 and we will give both plenty of opportunity to use their skills in the future. They are very much part of the ABC Radio Melbourne family."
Sami and Jacinta replaced Red Symons in early 2018. By the middle of that year, the pair's 5.30am to 7.45am timeslot attracted just 7 per cent of Melbourne's radio market – less than half of what Symons achieved during his final radio survey. The figure represented ABC Radio Melbourne's smallest breakfast share since at least 1975.
The duo have since clawed-back audience share, but have never achieved a share of 10 percentage points or higher during their specific timeslot. Red Symons' audience share never fell below 10 percentage points during his last four years on air.
More to come.
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