Podcast host and media personality Abbie Chatfield has raised concerns that emerging radio talent may be discouraged from entering the industry, as established media figures are often the first pick for key on-air roles.
Sitting down with B&T for her second appearance at Cairns Crocodiles in Far North Queensland, Chatfield worries there’s a growing issue around younger talent trying to break through.
“I worry about these young people and emerging talent who love radio,” she said, ahead of her panel discussion in Cairns.
“Some may think ‘well, I’m not gonna get a job in it anyway. It’s going to be Sophie Monk or something that will be filling in’.”
Chatfield recently filled for a couple of weeks on KIIS FM’s breakfast radio slot following the axing of The Kyle & Jackie O Show.
Her podcast It’s A Lot, has amassed nearly 40 million downloads and draws more than 500,000 monthly listeners. In March, Chatfield signed a multi-year deal to move her podcast from SCA’s Listnr to Acast.
As if to prove her point, today ARN hired Karl Stefanovic and Eddie McGuire to produce a new multi-format program called The Long Weekend.
Chatfield said a perception that radio favours established media personalities is discouraging emerging talent from pursuing opportunities in the medium.
“I’ve been handed opportunities just because of who I am, or the platform that I have,” she said. “But I do think there’s a huge amount of value in broadcasting experience, because it is a really different thing.”
Chatfield also pointed to the erosion of traditional training pathways in radio, including technical skills once learned through junior roles.
“Something I’ve noticed is that there are very few people that can panel op now,” she said. “Because experienced operators have typically held those roles for years, it means there are fewer opportunities for beginners to learn.
“Everyone who can do it has had those roles for a while, like Mike E, who I was on KIIS FM with. He’s been doing it for 20-plus years.”
Despite her concerns, Chatfield said she is not arguing against personality-led broadcasting, but instead advocating for greater balance.
“While I think there’s benefit to having people-personality, I think there’s even more benefit to people that have radio and broadcasting experience,” she said. “And I think the combination of those things make a really, really great show.
“I just don’t want people to feel like there’s no point trying. Because there absolutely is.”
@bandt.com.au #abbiechatfield at Carins Crocodiles for the second time 🐆 #cairnscrocodiles #podcast #pinterest #interview
During her time on KIIS FM, Chatfield co-hosted the 7am-9am weekday slot for two weeks from 27 April to 8 May.
“It was literally the day that I moved (my podcast to Acast) that KIIS FM reached out to me, because I was with LiSTNR previously under SCA, so if I was under SCA, I couldn’t have done it because of the contracts,” she said.
Chatfield explained the director of content for Metro Radio at ARN, Dave Cameron, texted her directly about joining the rotation of co-hosts being trialled on-air.
“He texts me being like, ‘Hey, would you do breakfast fill-in?’ And I was like, ‘yeah of course’,” she said. “They’re doing rotating co-hosts and just trying to see what works with the audience.”
Chatfield said the experience was overwhelmingly positive.
“It was so, so much fun. The team there was so good, everything was so easy. I was just stoked to be able to do it.”
However, Chatfield recalled one segment that took an unexpected turn, when she ended up vomiting live on air during a “strange foods” taste test.
The broadcast occurred after Woolworths posted a TikTok featuring canned foods, prompting Intern Pete to hunt down obscure tinned products that made the hosts do a live taste test.
Chatfield was put forward to taste test a range of bizarre canned foods, ending in her throwing up.
“I did vomit on air,” she laughed. “They made us eat canned foods, canned hot dogs, canned steak and onion. I had one bite and I vomited in a bucket.
“I was like ‘guys, I’m gonna vomit, I’m gonna vomit,” she said. “No one believed me, and I was like, ‘I actually will vomit’.”
In spite of vomitgate, Chatfield said she “loved every part of the experience”.
When asked if she could be the new Kyle & Jackie O, she smiled and said: “I’m not gunning for a radio gig, but I would love to do more radio. It really just depends on the offer.
“I particularly love those fill-in roles. I also want to be able to focus on my podcast business, and I already do a lot of talking and content so it’s like, ‘how much more?'”
