We've just lost another major radio star to retirement

Now we've just lost another major radio star to retirement – Is it something in the water here in Sydney? – With Ray Hadley pulling the plug next month. A one-time taxi driver, Hads moved into radio as a traffic reporter at 2UE in 1981, switching to rugby league shortly afterwards. But it's his move to News/Talk 2GB in 2001 that elevated him to Superstar status, including an OAM for services to the industry. Ray spent 23 years at GB including a record 160 consecutive number one's in mornings. That is ridiculous. He is one of the biggest names in the trade in the last 25 years and the question for radio historians to think about is whether Ray Hadley is more than a legend... Has his career pushed him into the realm of the Giants?

At least Ray ended his GB career back on top in mornings as the AM superstation regained the high ground from those cheeky FM brats. And Ben Fordham got himself back in the big time with a solid rise to grab number one in Brekky, ahead of Kyle and Jackie O at KIIS. SMOOTH is the leading FM station overall while WS FM has fallen back a fraction in a year if musical chairs in the industry.
A final tribute this month to another leading light, the cheeky, controversial broadcaster Clive Robertson who has recently passed, aged 78. He was a quirky and eccentric character who worked with Aunty as well as the commercial sector. I remember Clive for ABC breakfast radio and for the odd TV show like Beauty and the Beast.

When I was a boy going to school one of the delights was the regular story of our Aussie heroes and heroines, those who went before us and made our history. Sadly the horse has well and truly bolted since then: I think Australian history disappeared from the classroom sometime in the 70s. I always remember the story of young Grace Bussell and the rescue of the SS Georgette on December 2, 1876... 148 years ago. Youngsters today won't have a clue what we're talking about but just for the record the ship started going down in heavy seas off the Margaret River in WA. They got a lifeboat out but it capsized in the rough surf. Aboriginal stockman Sam Isaacs saw the disaster and rode 20 kilometres to the Bussell Homestead to sound the alarm. While rescuers gathered, Grace jumped on her horse and, along with Sam, rode down to Redgate Beach, scene of the unfolding tragedy. Without thinking twice, young Grace steered her mount into the surf and started dragging survivors ashore. They hung on to the horse's tail, to the saddle and on to Grace... Anything to fight their way on to the beach. Sam was doing the same thing, pulling people out of the surf and helping get a rescue rope out to the vessel. It was heroic stuff. You can imagine the buzz a 14-year-old kid got out of hearing that story recounted by the teacher. As far as your reporter was concerned, Grace Bussell was an absolute hero... Always will be. She received the Royal Humane Society's Silver Medal and is remembered today by the names, Lake Grace and Gracetown in WA. Tell ya what, if you've got nothing on in December 2026, why don't we all head over to WA and gather at Redgate Beach for a 150th anniversary celebration, paying homage to Grace (pictured) and Sam?



I called the US Presidential election, predicting a Trump victory but I never expected The Donald to hold his vote among women, blacks and Hispanics... I certainly didn't see him taking out the popular vote. It was a disaster for Kamala Harris who started too late and couldn't survive the cost of living crisis. As they say in the classics, "It's the economy, stupid." The fact is, the Democrats I read and talk to were pretty positive even on the morning of polling day. There was a widespread belief that Kamala was going to give the White House a big nudge. They were devastated at the extent of the loss. Two things that I can summarise now that all the dust has settled. There was a tremendous increase in energy and excitement when Biden made way for his VP. The Democrats were buzzing. Thousands of extra volunteers came out of the woodwork and hit the ground running. Kamala was increasingly confident and upbeat. There was a distinct vibe in the air. This wasn't an act. The Democrats were on the front foot. Where did all this energy go? Answer: it stayed where it was originally... Among the Democratic faithful. It never moved beyond the party. Democrat voters were genuinely excited but the energy didn't transfer beyond the party. The Democrat analysts got it all wrong. There was no sudden, wide-scale upsurge in Kamala's popularity... It was restricted to the converted. Nobody else got the memo. The other key issue and the big surprise for everybody was the great "abortion debate", the right for women to make their own decision about reproduction. The Democrats were right into this issue, demanding women take responsibility for their own bodies and telling men and government to butt out. They were counting on mass female support for Kamala in a nation wide protest vote. And it never happened. All those Republican women who the Democrats predicted would defy their husbands at the ballot box and vote for Kamala just didn't do it. They voted for Donald. When it came down to it, the women of America voted in protest at the cost of livingl Their message was simply that THEY TRUSTED DONALD TRUMP TO FIX IT. Critics have lashed Harris for her campaign – Andew Bolt gave her a heck of a whack in a recent commentary – but I don't share these views. Harris got out there and worked very convincingly with her message of confidence and hope. She belted out her main theme, "Leave the angst and anger behind and vote for the future... vote for America." Even on the last day she was still out there, up front soldiering on... Sadly without a central, simple policy aimed at restoring the economy. Not enough time... No central policy... That's what got her in the end.

One of the big sporting issues of the year is the collapse in form of Australian golf star Minjee Lee, the lady with the best swing you've ever seen. She started okay on the LPGA with three top tens in the first ten tournaments. But there were some ominous signs with a series of shockers... A 77, and three 78s, including in two of the Majors. That simply isn't Minjee. She hits her drives straight down the middle and has a classic iron game from the fairway. What's wrong... Where has the magic gone? Minjee Lee, one of the best players in womens' golf, is currently ranked 43rd without a win this season on the US Tour.

Welcome back to Australia to Jason Day, one of our best golfers on the US Tour, who is home to play a couple of big tournaments downunder this summer. One of the first things Jason did after he left the airport was to track down a nearby bakery and get stuck into a good old Aussie meat pie. Welcome back to the Great South Land mate.

My favourite story of the year absolutely, the tale of Gold Coast Private Investigator Bill Edgar who has made the shift to the strangest job you've ever heard of. Bill is now the "Coffin Confessor". It started when a former client phoned Bill explaining that he was terminally ill and wanted to contract him to deliver a message at his funeral. Bill went to see the man who said he wanted him to speak on his behalf at the service, delivering a message that the man he thought to be a good mate had been trying to seduce his wife while he was lying in hospital, fighting for his life. It was a very strange request but Bill stood up and explained to the congregation that it wasn't personal, he was just carrying out the last wishes of the deceased. So he got up there and did it. You can imagine what that revelation was like among the congregation! I'm not sure I've got the rest completely right but apparently the story goes an elderly lady – in palliative care – heard the story and asked him if he'd do the same for her. This time he got up, speaking for the person in the coffin, and named a couple of family members who hadn't bothered to talk to the lady in over 40 years. So the final message went along the lines of, "If you didn't want to know me then, why have you turned up now for my funeral? So, there's the door. Leave." Which they did, as quietly as possible. I wish I had that on video. Anyway, this is what Bill does. No wonder his book is called "Coffin Confessor". He's also written a second publication "The Afterlife Confessional" (Penguin).

WE'LL MEET AGAIN.

"We'll meet again, Don't know where, Don't know when,
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day.
Keep smiling through, Just like you always do,
‘Til the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away".

(One of the most iconic songs of the last 100 years, written by Ross Parker and Hughie Charles in 1939 and sung by Vera Lynn. An anthem for all those soldiers of WW2 at the front line just dreaming of when they'd get home again for that "sunny day")