Melbourne radio rivals' emotional farewells

There were tears, a sea of yellow streamers and champagne toasts as Melbourne celebrated the 12-year radio relationship of Nova 100’s Dave Hughes and Kate Langbroek.

The comedic duo bowed out of radio this morning at Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre in-front of more than 800 fans (with some queuing from 2.30am this morning), friends, family and media.

Kicking off at 6am the jam packed show was packed full of the guests, newsreaders and stand-ins who helped make the show what it was including Carrie Bickmore, Nathan Buckley, Rebecca Maddern, Peter Helliar and rival Triple M breakfast host, Mick Molloy.

Molloy wasn’t the only rival to get a mention on the show.

In a final stunt Langbroek was lifted into the air like an angel as the ground swallowed Hughes into hell. As he dropped into the belly of the Athenaeum, Langbroek quipped: “You are going to love it. Say hi to Matt and Jo.” (click here to see it)

Across town their competitors, Fox FM’s Matt and Jo, ended their decade-long on-air partnership with a rooftop broadcast.

With a couple hundred guests watching, Matt Tilley and Jo Stanley said an emotional farewell to their listeners from atop Fox FM’s famous rooftop.

On-air guests included representatives from the charities they raised money for during their 10 years such as Mission Australia, beyondblue, Royal Women’s Hospital and Orygen Youth Health.

“I love the fact that I have committed to this place and given my heart and soul because the people here are all like me,” Tilley said.

“And my god I have been privileged to have so many of them by my side. They are my family.

“I have been at Fox for 23 years. That is longer than I lived at home, it’s longer than when I went to school and uni combined, its longer than I’ve been married, it is longer and more dominant then anything I have ever done. They are my family.”

While Tilley, Stanley, Langbroek and Hughes are celebrating their fresh starts Melbourne’s FM radio listeners are in mourning as they farewell two of their favourite breakfast shows.

Both Fox FM’s and Nova 100’s Facebook pages reveal how in-tune the shows were with Melbourne with an outpouring of grief from their fans.

On Fox FM one fan said: “Jo, you made me cry in the car dropping the kids at school. At least I wasn’t the only mum wiping away tears this morning. We were all lined up after one another in the drop off zone.!”

Another asked: “How can you laugh and cry tears of sorrow at the same time?”

On Nova 100’s page one listener said: “Thanks for making me laugh every morning Dave and Kate. Mornings will not be the same without you! I’ve listened to you guys for near on ten years every morning. Thank you.”

The conclusion of the long-time rivals will have many keenly watching for the year’s final ratings survey. Due to be released next week they will reveal whether Hughes and Kate managed to stay on top or if the Fox FM pair, who were dominant for a longer stretch, managed to regain their crown from Nova and fellow Southern Cross Austereo station Triple M.

Langbroek thanked their fans for tuning every morning.

“Well not every morning we know you flick around,” she said.

“But you always come back to us,” Hughes added.

“We are going to finish the year number one.”

Meanwhile, in Sydney FM’s ratings royals, Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O, also ended their long-term ‘breakfast with the stars’ program on SCA’s 2DayFM.

The pair, who are moving to Australian Radio Network’s Mix 106.5, have won 51 surveys in a row.

ARN confirmed it has signed the duo this morning with a release which announced a rebrand of Mix to Sydney’s 1065.

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