MATT TILLEY
Matt Tilley is a game changer. After getting his start as a writer on the Grubby and Dee Dee breakfast show at Fox in the early 90s, Matt went on to build one of the longest and most successful stints with a metro FM radio station. Alongside Tracy Bartram, he took Fox to #1 in the late 90s, and 13 years later he still dominated the Melbourne FM landscape with Jo Stanley.
Matt is a brilliant all-rounder, but he will be best remembered for his 'Gotcha Calls', which became the must-listen-to segment on Melbourne radio (often attracting the highest listenership of any breakfast show at the height of this segment). Matt spent a year on MMM in 2014, and moved back into Breakfast on the newly branded KIIS Melbourne in 2015 where he hosts Matt & Meshel with Meshel Laurie.
READ THE SHOW NOTES
2:06 Remembering when he first met Craig
2:39 Describing his journey to get to Fox FM when he’d never even heard of it
3:30 Describing the crazy money offered to write sketches for the FM Breakfast program Grubby and Dee Dee
7:20 Lamenting the frustration of being a writer and having the jokes poorly delivered on air
8:10 Describing himself as 100% radio (not podcast or stand up) person
9:47 Recalling the first time he was Matt Tilley on the radio
10:30 Craig Bruce arguing Matt was groomed for breakfast radio
11:04 Sharing a bizarre story of lunch in Perth at the Indiana Tea House for the show with Tracy Bartram
12:20 Remembering the first day of the new show was the day after Princess Diana died
14:00 Recalling being the number one breakfast program (even ahead of AM radio)
14:33 Talking about September 11 and how he handled it on air
15:24 Realising that radio is more than just jokes
16:45 Understanding timing has an influence on radio programming
17:14 Explaining 'Battle of the Sexes' radio
18:08 Talking about the importance off air team work
18:57 Recalling the mentoring of Brian Ford his Program Director
20:17 Marrying two strangers on air (and making front-page news for three days running)
21:30 Using controversy that pays off during ratings
22:01 Explaining how the story actually blew up
23:00 Sharing his belief that you cannot exploit people on radio because you have to look them in the eye
23:34 Remembering how the program started to fall apart
26:04 Remembering starting work with Jo Stanley
26:50 Observing that presenters are often removed from decisions on talent and programs
27:20 Arguing that it takes three years to make a program work
28:14 Craig Bruce describing the consistency of the performance of Matt and Jo
28:57 Sharing his belief that other shows might be funnier but his show could work harder
29:42 Craig Bruce reading a quote that Matt doesn’t remember writing
30:40 Sharing his breakfast radio survival tips
31:17 Explaining the Gotcha Calls
32:55 Remembering the first Gotcha Call
34:19 Sharing how he felt self-conscious about the decisions to use the Gotcha Calls
34:58 Talking about Gotcha Calls and ratings success
35:40 Ending the Gotcha Calls
37:08 Sharing his opinion on The Royal Scandal
38:15 Craig Bruce acknowledging Matt as the centre of the Fox culture behind the scenes for 20 years
39:40 Recalling having Hamish Blake participating in Street Bitch
40:50 Explaining the importance of the team
41:08 Articulating the transition to Triple M after 20 years of Fox FM
42:42 Realising you’re doing Drive on Triple M when you are a Breakfast person
43:43 Leaving Austereo
44:29 Starting KIIS and not being Kyle Sandilands
46:45 Explaining how Meshel Laurie joined the team
49:18 Admitting that after 20 years in radio he still doesn’t know how something might work on air
51:08 Explaining the return of the Gotcha Call
52:40 Sharing his advice on how to make a team work