RICHARD STUBBS
Richard Stubbs is a game changer. He literally changed the game for breakfast radio in the mid 80s as the first stand-up comedian to cross-over to Breakfast radio (he even did stand up with fellow comedian and radio host Wendy Harmer once upon a time). He started at 3XY on the Morning Zoo in 1985 before moving to MMM in the late 80s. In 1992 The Richard Stubbs Breakfast Show replaced the D-Generation, and went on to become one of the most successful shows of the time. Stubbsy (as he is affectionately known) then forged a new path for FM hosts by crossing over to the ABC in 2004. After 11 years of success in the afternoon slot, he made the decision to hang up the headphones at the end of 2015.
READ THE SHOW NOTES
2:47 Craig Bruce introducing the podcast to Richard
3:45 Moving from the stand up stage to FM radio
4:15 Craig Bruce asking Richard if he’s heard Dan Carlin’s podcast Hardcore History
4:58 Explaining his past and family life including brother Peter ‘Grubby’ Stubbs
5:26 Sharing how his brothers and family influenced his story telling and comedic work
7:29 Explaining how in his family home growing up you couldn’t get seconds unless you’d contributed to the conversation
9:04 Describing his start at The Last Laugh in 1983
9:40 Discussing the pathway to radio (uni radio and then off to 3CR) before getting to The Last Laugh
10:48 His first big break at The Last Laugh
11:20 Sharing his wisdom on how you can tell if you have good content? How to make the mundane interesting
12:48 Explaining the different ways he approaches comedy content to radio content
13:47 What does Richard like about stand-up?
14:27 Sharing his learnings from working at the ABC… is how you need to let people take time to speak
15:17 The Curse of Radio – habits you have in radio seeping into your normal life
17:05 Working with Peter Harrison at 3XY
19:04 Discussing the evolution of the breakfast program format in the days of 3XY
20:16 Explaining Grubby’s first radio stint
20:46 Remembering Jane Holmes on 3XY
21:00 Receiving criticism for their new format
22:56 Understanding the difference between AM and FM radio
24:03 Knowing what to do if your boss is a moron
24:29 Forbiding bitching within his team
25:21 Moving to Triple M in 1998
26:43 Moving to Triple M and learning to work solo and to panel
28:35 Having nightmares about panelling
28:57 Sharing his thoughts on good radio, and why it is important to always have the next thing ready
29:27 Explaining how he got his friends (including Wendy Harmer) to do bits of radio
30:24 Making sure there is a succession plan in place
31:28 Sharing his thoughts on the D-Generation
33:48 Replacing the D-Generation, an iconic breakfast program
35:10 Unpacking the first 12 months of the show and why it didn’t work
36:11 Recognising the tipping point for the show and how to build on it
37:00 Estimating how long it took before the program found the groove
37:30 Realising his radio work was better when he wasn’t also doing TV
39:58 Remembering the pranks he and his brother would get up to while working at different radio stations
40:44 Acknowledging the determination of Eddie McGuire
42:00 Explaining the influence of that breakfast program at the time…
42:28 Taking a breakfast show national
42:56 Confessing it was money and power that persuaded him to stay on when the show went national
44:49 Understanding that once you’ve signed up you have to give it your all
45:11 Explaining how a National Breakfast program can work, as long as all players are on board
46:09 Communicating (or not) with management
48:03 Understanding Austereo's approach to programming
49:09 Commissioning his own market research and learning why benchmarks matter
50:33 Retiring from radio in 1998
51:09 Looking back on a decade at Triple M and a decade at ABC
52:11 Craig Bruce enjoying the ABC more and more as he gets older and asking how Richard transitioned to AM
54:12 Coping with negative feedback
55:09 Explaining the constraints of working at the ABC
56:03 Working with program directors
56:26 Hosting a TV program on a Friday without any staff
57:38 Remembering his most significant moments as a broadcaster
58:40 Seeking feedback
59:48 Explaining how the ABC deals with major disasters
1:01:35 Broadcasting from various locations after Black Saturday
1:04:05 Explaining his delayed reaction to the Black Saturday and how he could use that to relate to others
1:05:39 Listening to the October 2015 audio of Richard resigning from the ABC
1:07:02 Outlining why radio exists and what it makes it unique
1:08:06 Being out of radio for nine months and how it feels being away for that long?