Hot30 Countdown

Last updated

Hot30 Countdown
Hot30 Countdown Logo.png
Other namesThe Summer30
Genre Music, talk
Running time150 minutes (7:30 pm 10:00 pm)
Country of origin Australia
Language(s)English
Home station 2Day FM
Syndicates
Hosted by Michael 'MC' Christian
Mel Greig
Original release1996 (1996) – 7 December 2012 (2012-12-07)
Audio format Stereophonic sound
Website Hot30 Countdown

The Hot30 Countdown was an Australian radio show hosted by Mike Christian (MC) and Mel Greig. It was broadcast on the Today Network from the studios of 2Day FM in Sydney, New South Wales to every state and the Australian Capital Territory following The Dirt. It was cancelled on 10 December 2012, following the death of Jacintha Saldanha, and was replaced by The Bump .

Contents

History

Beginning in 1996, the show was first hosted by Ugly Phil and Jackie O under the name Ugly Phil's Hot 30. Brisbane-based announcer, Kyle Sandilands, was then moved in to host with Jackie O until the end of 2003. Labrat and Alexis took over the Hot30 Countdown from 2004 after Sandilands and Jackie O moved to the drive-time slot. A previously unknown announcer "Higgo" stepped in after Labrat took the morning shift on 2Day FM. Alexis and Higgo hosted the nightly show until 2005, when Craig Low came in to host the program until mid-2006. Low occasionally included Carla Bignasca as co-host who was the executive producer of the show from the middle of 2006.

Hot30 Countdown phased out the national promotion of the Black Thunders in early 2005, across the Today Network. Sam Mac and Bignasca hosted the show from late 2006 until early 2007. From early 2007 Tim Lee was announced as the permanent replacement to host the show with Bignasca. In February 2010, it was announced that Lee and Bignasca would be leaving the Hot30 Countdown, with Lee relocating to Fox FM in Melbourne, presenting Mornings; while Bignasca expected to focus on television opportunities. Lee and Bignasca presented their last show on 12 March 2010.

Austereo announced on 10 March 2010 that Charli Robinson and Chris Page would be the new hosts. [1] They commenced on 15 March, subsequently introducing a new show at 7pm, The Dirt. Page left the Hot30 Countdown at the end of 2010, moving to Triple M's Grill Team in Sydney and Delaney became the first solo host of The Dirt nationally.

In February 2011, Austereo announced that Matty Acton and Maude Garrett would be the new hosts. From 5 September 2011, it was announced by Southern Cross Austereo, the Hot30 Countdown would broadcast into syndicated channels as well as additional Today Network regional channels and with the merger it changed their Australian studio line to 13 10 60. Acton and Garrett also hosted a weekend music show on Southern Cross Ten which was launched as Hot30 Countdown TV, airing Saturdays from 10 am to 12 noon and Sundays at 9 am to 12 noon. [2]

On 31 January 2012 Garrett revealed on the show that she was leaving on 10 February and it was announced on Friday 9 March that Mel Greig (of Amazing Race Australia) would be the replacement co-host. [3] [4] In November Acton announced that he was leaving the show to work at Sea FM on the Gold Coast, Queensland with Fox FM morning presenter, Mike Christian (MC) replacing Acton in early December.

Timeline of hosts
NoPresenter(s)FromToDuration
1 Ugly Phil O'Neil and Jackie O 199620003 years
2 Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O200020033 years
3Jason 'LabRat' Hawkins and Alexis Savaidis 12 January 20044 August 2004205 days
4Dave 'Higgo' Higgins and Alexis Savaidis5 August 200428 January 2005176 days
5 Craig 'Lowie' Low 31 January 200510 November 20061 year, 283 days
6Tim Lee and Carla 'Biggzy' Bignasca15 January 200712 March 20103 years, 56 days
7 Charli Delaney and Chris 'Pagey' Page15 March 201011 February 2011333 days
8Matty Acton and Maude Garrett 14 February 201110 February 2012361 days
9Matty Acton and Mel Greig 19 March 201230 November 2012256 days
10 Michael 'MC' Christian and Mel Greig3 December 20127 December 20124 days

Sam Mac covered the period between Craig Low's departure in November 2006 and Tim Lee's arrival in January 2007. Sophie Monk was among a series of stand-in presenters who covered the period between the departure of Maude Garrett in February 2012 and the arrival of Mel Greig in March 2012.

Duchess of Cambridge prank call and cancellation

On 6 December 2012, the day after the then pregnant Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital for a severe case of morning sickness, Mel Greig and Michael Christian rang the hospital pretending to be Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles. The prank worked, with a nurse, Jacintha Saldanha, forwarding the call on to Catherine's private nurse, and Greig and Christian were able to obtain Catherine's medical details. [5] The prank was condemned by a journalist writing in The Huffington Post , and the hospital announced they deeply regretted the incident and would be "reviewing [their] telephone protocols." [6]

Following the incident Saldanha was found dead in a suspected suicide. [7] Following her death both Greig and Christian, took down their Twitter accounts. An executive producer for 2Day FM, told TMZ, "I advise you to stop trying to call them" as the hosts have been "ordered" not to speak to media. It was later announced that Greig and Christian would be stepping away from their duties. The company that owned the station released a statement reported by TMZ, which stated, "SCA and 2Day FM are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha from King Edward VII’s Hospital. [...] SCA and the hosts have decided that they will not return to their radio show until further notice out of respect for what can only be described as a tragedy." [7]

At a Federal Court of Australia hearing, it became known that Australian media watchdog Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA) had prepared a confidential, preliminary report saying that the Radio Royal hoax 'broke law'. 2Day FM acted illegally by airing the phone call without consent. [8] On 10 December 2012, Southern Cross Austereo, announced that the show would be cancelled effective immediately. [9] On the following day both Christian and Greig were interviewed on TV shows and apologised for their part in the incident. [5]

Hot30 Jelli

In November 2009, a Digital Radio offshoot, Hot30 Jelli, was launched. [10] A joint venture with Jelli, the station uses a play list from current and previous Hot30 Countdown music, which is then voted on by listeners at the Hot30 Jelli website. The station has since been renamed Choose The Hits.

Related Research Articles

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Southern Cross Austereo

Southern Cross Media Group Limited, doing business as Southern Cross Austereo, is an Australian media company which operates broadcast radio and television stations. It is the largest radio broadcaster in Australia, operating 86 radio stations, and has a reach into every state and territory.

2Day FM is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on a frequency of 104.1 MHz, and is part of Southern Cross Austereo's Hit Network.

Ugly Phil O'Neil is a radio DJ/announcer. He was born in the United Kingdom, and lived the majority of his life in Australia. Before adopting the on-air name of Ugly Phil he was known on-air as Phil O'Neil. Phil has hosted the Hot30 Countdown, Drive at Nova 969, and Evenings at Triple M several times.

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Maude Garrett Australian broadcaster

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Choose the Hits Radio station in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth

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King Edward VIIs Hospital Hospital in London, England

King Edward VII's Hospital is a private hospital located on Beaumont Street in the Marylebone district of central London.

Mel Greig Australian journalist, radio presenter and television personality

Mel Greig is an Australian radio and television personality.

Suicide of Jacintha Saldanha Indian nurse who hanged herself after being deceived by a radio stunt

Jacintha Saldanha was an Indian nurse who worked at King Edward VII's Hospital in the City of Westminster, London. On 7 December 2012, she was found dead by suicide, three days after falling for a prank phone call as part of a radio stunt. In the prank call, the hosts of the Australian radio programme Hot30 Countdown, broadcast on the Southern-Cross-Austereo-owned station 2Day FM in Sydney, called Saldanha's hospital and impersonated the Queen and the Prince of Wales enquiring about the health of the Duchess of Cambridge, who was a patient there at the time. Saldanha fell for the hoax and transferred the call to the nurse looking after the Duchess.

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References

  1. "Hot 30 Hosts – Charli Delaney and Chris Page". National Youth Week 2010. Archived from the original on 23 April 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  2. Reid, Poppy (29 August 2011). "Hot30 Countdown launches broadcast additions". themusicnetwork.com. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  3. Lawdon, Courtney (10 March 2012). "Amazing Race Australia's Mel Greig lands Hot30 gig". Throng. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  4. Leo, Jessica (9 March 2012). "Mel Greig leaves for hot new job at 30". The Advertiser . Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  5. 1 2 Michael, Sarah; Lees, Justin (11 December 2012). "Hospital hoax nurse Jacintha Saldanha's mother inconsolable". Herald Sun . News Corp Australia . Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  6. Adams, Rebecca (5 December 2012). "Kate Middleton Hospital Prank: Nurse Fooled By Radio Show into Divulging Duchess' Details". The Huffington Post . Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  7. 1 2 Krupnick, Ellie; Misener, Jessica (7 December 2012). "Kate Middleton's Hospital Nurse Found Dead in London Days After Being Duped By Prank Callers". The Huffington Post . Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  8. "Radio Royal hoax 'broke law' according to watchdog". BBC News. 20 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  9. "Southern Cross Austereo Press Release" (PDF). 10 December 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  10. "Second DAB+ digital station for Austereo". campaignbrief.com. 21 October 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2012.