Hamish and Andy returned to Australian radio this week after an eight-month hiatus from being on-air.
But it’s a secret. Really.
Back on your radio July 13* *but secretly starting a week earlier pic.twitter.com/XmPzHmOkWE
— Hamish & Andy (@hamishandandy) June 15, 2015
Hamish Blake and Andy Lee comprise the comedic cohorts that make up the famed team of Hamish and Andy. Their return to a daily show marks their first full-week program in nearly five years. Previously, the pair had a prolific four-year run on radio in the same time slot that their current show resides – weekdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. That show aired from 2006 to 2010 and commanded more than two million listeners each day.
But the new Hamish and Andy program is facing stronger competition this time around. The dynamic pair will go head-to-head with the KIIS FM duo of Hughesy and Kate (Dave Hughes and Kate Langbroek) for listeners during the coveted time slot. And as AdNews reported, both groups are vying for the top spot currently held by the Kate, Tim and Marty program. Expectations are high going into the next rating period. In a recent Sydney Morning Herald article, Citibank Media Analyst Just Diddams recently said despite a national following for Hamish and Andy , the market they left is not the same market they are re-entering.
“It’s going to be tougher for them to break into that drive time slot.”
To make their mark, Hamish and Andy will rely on their already strong fan base. With more than two million followers on their Facebook page and another million followers on Twitter, the personalities have flooded social media to announce their return to radio after a brief stint on television.
Secretly we’ve come back a week early!…And nobody knows!! #SneakWeek http://t.co/SDKhGCrYYC — Hamish & Andy (@hamishandandy) July 6, 2015
The radio show is already making waves on its maiden voyage back on Australia’s air waves. During the premier of Magic Mike XXL on July 5, Hamish and Andy sent their mothers to interview stars Channing Tatum and Joe Manganiello. In the interview, Hamish’s mother announced that Hamish and Andy might think the stars of the stripping sequel were hot.
While Tatum and Manganiello may not want to spend time with the radio personalities, 2Day FM is banking on Hamish and Andy bringing an audience to their station. As the Australian Financial Review noted, the pair will also try to bank on their success, too, now that they have secured equity in the radio station as a condition of returning to the air full-time. That’s in addition to whatever hefty salary the comedic pair will receive.
Southern Cross Austereo, the parent company of 2Day FM, is also hoping Hamish and Andy’s return will bolster their other programs. Almost all programs for 2Day FM lost audience, according to a report in June. Even more discouraging for Southern Cross Austereo is the significant loss in audience for the company’s breakfast program. Ratings for the company’s breakfast program hit a new low for the morning radio programming, the Dan and Maz Show , as Mumbrella reported.
[Photo: Hamish and Andy Twitter @hamishandandy]
