Game Changers: Radio

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. 

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