Jonesy And Amanda Talk 10 Years Together, Radio Fails And Poo Gags

Time is limited, and consumers don’t want to hear on-air introductions of new radio talent anymore, said Brendan Jones, from Australian Radio Network (ARN) radio show Jonesy & Amanda.

“The days of the getting-to-know-you thing, people don’t have time for that anymore,” he said, referencing how people go on air and say ‘oh well, let’s learn a bit about such and such’.

“We did this in the early days, but now people don’t care. They have no time.”

Speaking to B&T after their live broadcast in Sydney’s theme park Luna Park in celebration of 10 years on air together, Jones explained how new talent coming into radio can’t do all the introduction stuff. However, that’s not to say that new groups can’t make it work.

“I do think radio shows can come in and go bang,” said other half of the duo, Amanda Keller.

Jones added: “You can listen to other radio shows and you can hear them forcing rapport, and it’s not because they’re bad, it’s because they haven’t caught up yet.”

Having a decade on air together, Jones and Keller have clearly found a formula that works for them and their audience, it’s all about their personalities. Throughout their broadcasting together the duo has played around with comedy sketches and scripted bits and bobs, but they often fell flat.

“What works well for us, is just us being us,” said Keller. “Added characters and scripted things aren’t us. And that’s what we’ve learnt through the years.”

Jones added: “Also, when we agree, that’s when it doesn’t work.”

“But from that,” debated Keller, “what I love about this job is that we don’t have to take fake opinions. Some shows, the producers say ‘she said that so you have to say that’. Radio, on our show, we are ourselves.

Jones added: “A radio show has to give something to someone. And I wish I understood this formula sooner. It took us 10 years to get to it, but right now we’re exactly where we need to be as a radio show goes.”

Starting a new duo from scratch though would be one thing Keller would never do again.

“If we do break up,” Keller said, turning to Jones, “I’m not going to do this again. Because I can’t bear to go back to do all that again.”

It was a tumultuous year for radio in 2014 with a number of shows swapping around, new talent popping up and some shows being cut completely.

However the Jonesy & Amanda show on 101.7WSFM reached number two spot in the breakfast radio ratings numerous times last year, battling it out against rival ARN brekkie duo Kyle and Jackie O.

The ultimate dream though, says Jones, would be to beat Alan Jones’ 2GB who has sat a firm number one for a long time.

“Alan is such a habit, and he’s a good habit,” said Keller. “He’s a very very good broadcaster, so he deserves to be where he is.

“I don’t know if that’s our mission though. It’s not an expectation of ARN for us to do that.”

“It would be good though,” chimed in Jones.

Keller added: “We’ve been here for 10 years. Last year we went number one, but for nine years we just turned up every day, we do our job to the best of ability…it can’t always be about number one or else only one team would show up every day. To the outside world it’s all ratings driven, to us it’s a job. It’s fun.”

“So we’re happy we’re a big number two,” joked Jones.

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