Game Changers: Radio

Tony Martin is a game changer. He joined the D-Gen - a truly revolutionary FM breakfast show -  in 1987,  and continued with them until 1992. In 1995 he and Mick Molloy re-imagined the way we would listen to drive radio. They created Martin/Molloy, which became Australia’s first national Drive show and dominated the FM landscape for three years. In 2006 he created one of the most talked about radio shows ever, 'Get This', with Ed Kavalee and Richard Marsland. The show’s fan base is as rabid today as it was a decade ago. In 2017, Tony and Ed are together again on the TEAM Effort podcast.

2:08 Craig Bruce summarising Tony’s three rules: make it perfect, make it funny and do work you can be proud of

2:47 Discussing the fan base that demanded this podcast happen

3:48 Craig Bruce joking Tony is Australian radio’s Crowded House (meaning not quite Aussie)

4:34 Describing living as a child at sea with his dad listening to the radio

5:16 Growing up listening to Kenny Everett’s Captain Kremmen

5:30 Loving elaborate sound effects (like on The Goon Show)

6:11 Discussing the number of radio signals in NZ

6:50 Explaining his start in radio

9:13 Leaving his fancy ad job to move back to Hamilton in New Zealand to write and produce ads

9:43 Moving to Australia

10:21 Writing comedy for free

11:11 Craig Bruce noting many great broadcasters start writing first

11:43 Explaining his interest was comedy on radio

11:59 Explaining Tom Gleisner’s Joke Meter

12:33 Discussing the amount of time he spends writing

13:11 Craig Bruce remembering out in 1987 at EON FM and the influence of his mentors

14:00 Craig Bruce explaining the two applicants at EON for daily content: Steve Vizard the D-Generation

15:28 Being mentored by Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner

15:58 Explaining the culture of the D-Generation (with so many people working on content)

16:39 Flying to Sydney to watch Doug Mulray

17:37 Reminiscing about developing work that they could do live on EON

18:19 Bringing in Peter O’Callaghan (who promptly left) and working with no announcers

19:08 Explaining how Jane Kennedy was the only one 'playing herself' in the team

19:32 Recalling the ratings improving despite the chaos of the style of the radio

20:40 Pitching to The Late Show

21:29 Listening to the 'Five in a row' parody 

22:00 Explaining how the sketches came together for Gudinski for a Christmas CD

23:40 Explaining how the TV advert came about

25:28 Talking about the beginnings of Bulltwang came about

26:31 Explaining how being given three hours of freedom on Sunday nights became the template for Martin/Molloy

28:20 Explaining the Mick Molloy partnership

29:50 Describing the level of work involved to create Martin/Molloy

31:07 Sharing his unexpected favourite thing in radio

31:54 Explaining how sketches are brought together

32:35 Training himself out of being too prepared

33:10 Sounding improvised and the end of comedy being read out

34:00 Creating a show, not a shift

35:06 Craig Bruce noting Kyle Sandilands believes content - not news - comes first

36:02 Listening to Mick Molloy talking about refusing to interview Celine Dion

36:50 Explaining how he would only use interviews to get jokes on air

37:50 Trying to decipher why they were on Fox not Triple M and how it just didn’t work

40:32 Stepping away from a successful program

41:10 Explaining the Get This experience

42:22 Avoiding fake laughs

43:16 Describing how Ed Kavalee came on board

44:29 Describing how three similar people come together

45:20 Getting involved (Richard Marsland and Matt Dower)

45:37 Talking about Matt Dower and sketch production

45:50 Sharing memories of working with Richard Marsland

48:11 Thinking back on Get This

48:51 Understanding the role of research in radio

50:27 Explaining how some content may be enjoyable because of the way you enjoy it

51:30 Craig Bruce sharing quotes from radio talent about 'talentless middle management' and their impact on radio

52:15 Describing how Get This was too successful in gaining the wrong kind of audience

54:24 Discussing ratings

55:59 Ending Get This and remembering to check your contract

58:26 Being on air for six weeks knowing the show was ending

59:07 Divulging the only trouble he has ever had in radio

59:33 Talking about his radio future.