While we're still umming and ahhing about digital radio here in Australia, it's well established in the UK. In fact, they are just about to roll out what's described as a "killer application" that will allow listeners to download songs they like as soon as they hear them on air. Now that's got to be good news for the radio and music industries - who will both make money from the paid-for service. However, at the rate we're taking up technology now it'll be years before we have it here. Details here (requires registration).

First it was Jabba and Justine, then it was Justine and Simon, then Vee and Bossy, now Nova 106.9FM has made what it calls a "permanent change" in its night-time shift. Step forward Dan Lyons and Ken Green, previously known as The Benchwarmers. Here's the Nova press release in full:

Nova 106.9 is pleased to finally announce Dan Lyons and Ken Green as the new hosts of Nova's Night Show in 2007.
Dan & Ken, previously known as "The Benchwarmers" have worked together since 2000, most recently networked throughout Australia on over 42 radio stations.
Dan & Ken are no strangers to Queensland, forging their radio careers here and currently based on the Goldie. The boys are over the moon about moving back to Brissie to host a LOCAL show where they can finally call the time without worrying about 4 time zones!
When we asked Dan how he felt about losing his social life at night he said, "I’m really excited, but I’m still gonna hold onto my dream of spruiking outside $2 discount stores. I can't believe they're handing the reigns to two knobs like us!"

The ABC may have declined to publish Jonestown, the controversial Chris Masters biography of radio star Alan Jones, but the national broadcaster is still making some money from the venture. At the time of writing, the book is featured on the front page of the ABC Shop site.

This morning on 612 ABC, Spencer Howson and I spoke about the things that happen on planes and at airports, what time the theatre should start, changes in the news at Channel 7 and Puss in Boots.

Is this a hoax, or is it for real? I didn't hear it myself but a reader of this blog has sent me an MP3 file of an ad that was played on Triple M this morning, claiming the station is changing its name on Friday. I will investigate further.
7.27pmAEST update: My station informant says it’s a national promotion and will take effect for one day only. I can say no more except that it’s related to a big band.
PS: If you want to hear the ad, it's on my other blog.

I made a special "appearance" on Spencer Howson's breakfast program on 612 ABC this morning to talk about the new Borat movie and the press conference Sacha Baron Cohen gave, as the Borat character, in Sydney yesterday. There's more about that, including a photo and some audio, on my other blog.

Do you listen to the radio through your digital computer or television set, rather than a radio receiver? Well, doing so apparently pumps more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than need be that case. At least that's what this Media Guardian story says.

There'll be a change at Brisbane's Triple M's The Cage breakfast program next year. George Macencroe tells me she will be moving to Melbourne for family reasons but will still be heard on air in Brisbane. There's more on my other blog.

The recent on-air changes in breakfast at 4KQ and 97.3FM in Brisbane have raised some comment on my other blog. While it's clear that Marnie Titheradge (who was axed from breakfast on 97.3FM and now "floats" across both stations) has some fans out there, the big question seems to be: why swap anchormen Mark Hine and Bob Gallagher? Given their ages and styles, they would seem to be more suited to the stations they were on. Perhaps it's a forward-thinking move for 4KQ to have a younger host who may appeal to the older female audience, while giving 97.3FM listeners an "avuncular/ voice-of-experience" type to balance young mum Robin Bailey? Just a thought.

Congratulations to the team at 612ABC who had across-the-board audience increases in the seventh Brisbane radio survey released today - and especially to Spencer Howson who is now No.2 in breakfast, less than a percentage point behind the Nova crew. There's more here.

Today on Spencer Howson's show on 612 ABC, we spoke about La Boite's final production for 2006, Sex: Cubed (more about that in my Brisbane News review; Queensland Theatre Company's 2007 season and why I didn't win a Queensland Media Award.

During an outside broadcast by Brisbane radio station 4BC, announcer Peter Dick approached a woman who was collecting money for a breast cancer charity. When he discovered she was the mother of 612 ABC's Spencer Howson, Dick said: "You're the mum of a big radio star." Spencer's mother apparently replied: "Not as big, in kilos, as you!"

Haven't heard what Brisbane's two new breakfast radio shows sound like? Well, there's audio over at the ie blog.

The recent changes at Brisbane's 97.3FM have left Marnie Titheradge without a job, although she has been offered some sort of position with the Australian Radio Network. She is not the first, nor will she be the last, person to be displaced in radio. It reminds of something Jamie Dunn told me years ago when I asked him why he worked so hard and why he was obsessed with money. He said: "I've always worked on the premise that one day I'll be told, 'Don't come Monday'." Dunn's 16-year run on B105 finally came to an end around this time last year.

Over at my other blog, there's some links to audio and video of the new 973FM breakfast show. It's interesting to hear Bob Gallagher, who has come over from sister station 4KQ, say he's "going to look forward to playing some music that's been released this side of the new millennium".

Latest Brisbane radio movements: Robin Bailey starts on Monday at 97.3FM, with Terry Hansen and new anchor Bob Gallagher. Mark Hine takes Gallagher's old job at 4KQ, alongside Laurel Edwards and Gary Clare. Former 97.3FM host Marnie Titheradge has been offered a job in Brisbane with ARN, parent company of both 4KQ and 97.3FM. Word has it that changes at other stations will be announced soon.

A day earlier than usual, Spencer Howson and I chatted on 612ABC this morning about Opera Queensland's 2007 season launch, my answer to the traffic chaos, the oratorio Not the Messiah, little shampoos from hotels and ubiquitous branding.

I'm just old enough to remember hearing on the radio: "Blue Hills by Gwen Meredith". The writer of Australia's best-known radio soap opera has died at age 98, and I join many others in acknowledging her.

So what is it that brings people to this site. According to my latest stats, search engines are pointing web surfers in my direction when they look for information on: Brett Debritz (as you'd expect), recently departed Channel 9 staffers Rick Burnett and John Schluter, radio funnyman Jamie Dunn, spammer emilycoolplums, Queensland Theatre Company's production of A Woman Before, singer-songwriter Bernard Fanning and, curiously, Brazilian waxing*. I don't claim to be an expert in that last category, but I'm willing to try anything once**.
* I think it referred to my item about Stav Davidson from B105 undergoing a treatment in the name of entertainment.
** On second thoughts, no I'm not.

What is Jamie Dunn up to? As I reported on the ie blog, Jamie Dunn rang 4KQ on Thursday offering to fill in for ill host Laurel Edwards. He said he wanted to return to Brisbane radio because "I've only got two listeners" at Zinc 96.1 on the Sunshine Coast. (You can read it and listen to it here.) Is there a place for Jamie Dunn on Brisbane radio? If so, it would have to be at an older-skewed station - meaning any of the AM-banders (4KQ, 4BH or 4BC with the first, arguably the best fit) or, perhaps, KQ's sister station 97.3FM. Dunn is supposedly contracted to Zinc for 10 years, but the metropolitan broadcasters have very deep pockets and there's no doubt they'll get him if they want him. But do they - and a big-enough number of Brisbane listeners - still want him? My guess is that they very probably do.