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Bob Rogers (DJ)

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Bob Rogers
OAM
Bob Rogers in 1958
Born
Robert Barton Rogers

(1926-12-03)3 December 1926
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died29 May 2024(2024-05-29) (aged 97)
Mosman, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation(s)Disc jockey, radio announcer, television host
Years active1942−2020

Robert Barton Rogers OAM[1][2] (3 December 1926 – 29 May 2024) was an Australian disc jockey and radio broadcaster. He was noted for introducing Top 40 radio programming to Australia in 1958, on 2UE.[3]

Before his retirement in October 2020, Rogers presented the six-hour Saturday evening Reminiscing program on Sydney radio station 2CH. He had previously presented The Bob Rogers Show on weekday mornings.[4][5] His broadcasting career lasted 78 years.[6]

Early life

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Rogers was born on 3 December 1926 to British parents and raised in Donald, Victoria.[7][8][9] His father had been a junior butcher before becoming a farmer. He used to help his father round up the sheep and catch the lambs before slaughter.[10]

Career

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Rogers began his career as a panel operator for 3XY in Melbourne in 1942.[citation needed] Moving onto a Hobart station, he worked six days a week as a radio announcer, including presenting racing on Saturdays. Soon, Rogers was given permission to start a Sunday afternoon music program, playing new records given to him by American sailors.[citation needed]

Rogers resigned and started a similar music program on Brisbane's 4BH in 1950. In 1957, Rogers discovered the Slim Dusty song "Pub With No Beer" and was the first DJ in Australia to play the song and bring it to number one on the charts.[11] Rogers subsequently presented Australia's first Top 40 show on 2UE from 1958 to 1962.[when?]

For the next 8 years, Rogers was Australia's top radio DJ.[7][12][13] He was tried out in a television talk show format on TCN-9, following Daly at Night with Jonathan Daly. He later established himself as a television host, on ATN-7, with a run from 1969 of over four years.[14]

In 1962 Rogers joined 2SM, one of the "Good Guys" DJ team the station recruited, with Mike Walsh and others;[15] 2SM jumped in the ratings to number 1. In 1964 Rogers was chosen to represent 2SM on The Beatles' tour through Europe, Asia and Australia. He made radio interviews with them in June.[16][17]

Rogers returned to 2UE and presented his morning radio show with a new format of provocative commentary, gossip and music. His programme became popular amongst interview-hungry artists.[12][13] In 1976, Rogers wrote Rock And Roll Australia, a book about the birth of the Australian rock industry.[11] In 1982, he started a chain of women's dress shops.[11]

In October 1976, Rogers joined 2GB,[18] but his time with the station was short-lived. While compering the 2GB morning program, in June 1977, Rogers was sacked, after he failed to use the seven-second-delay button, during an on-air conversation with John Singleton. Singleton's use of a 'four-letter word' was broadcast. The topic of conversation was Rogers' imminent change of time slot to an afternoon segment.[19]

2CH radio

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In November 1995, Rogers accepted John Singleton's offer and joined Sydney radio station 2CH. On 21 February 2007, according to the Nielsen radio ratings survey, Bob Rogers' Morning show became the fourth most heard radio programme in Sydney in that particular timeslot by beating John Laws of 2UE into fifth place. It is generally more difficult for an easy listening station in Sydney to achieve a greater audience share than a talkback station. Overall, 2CH has overtaken 2UE to claim sixth place.[20][21][22]

On 5 December 2007, Rogers was verbally abused with obscenities by long-time professional rival John Laws, in unprovoked circumstances whilst dining at lunch with 3AW personality Derryn Hinch in a Woolloomooloo restaurant.[23][24][25][26][27] Rogers was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2010 Birthday Honours for "service to the media as a radio broadcaster".[28]

After suffering a stroke while on air in 2018, Rogers announced in November 2018 that he would stop presenting his morning programme.[29] He continued presenting his Reminiscing program on Saturdays until 3 October 2020, when he finally retired.[30][31]

Radio career breakdown

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Network Tenure Role
3XY 1942–1950 Panel operator
Hobart radio Radio announcer and Host of Sunday Afternoon Music Program
4BH 1950–1957 Disc Jockey
2UE 1958–1962 Presenter of Top 40
2SM 1962–1995 Disc Jockey
2UE Morning program presenter
2GB 1976–1977 Morning program presenter
2CH 1995–2018 Morning program presenter and Host of program Reminiscing
2024 Inducted into the Australian Commercial Radio Hall of Fame[32]

Death

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Rogers died in Mosman on 29 May 2024, at the age of 97.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Bob Rogers awarded OAM – Bigpondnews, 14 June 2010, retrieved 7 May 2011.
  2. ^ Bob Rogers – Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine – Radio 2CH, retrieved 7 May 2011.
  3. ^ Cunningham, Stuart (October 2010). The Media and Communications in Australia. ReadHowYouWant.com. p. 188. ISBN 978-1-4596-0385-1.
  4. ^ Sydney's daggiest radio station a giant killer Archived 19 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine The Daily Telegraph, 10 May 2008, retrieved 10 July 2008.
  5. ^ "Legendary broadcaster Bob Rogers confirms radio retirement". Radio Today. 28 September 2020. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  6. ^ a b Hyland, Jesse (29 May 2024). "Australia's longest serving DJ Bob Rogers, who had a 78-year broadcasting career, dies aged 97". ABC News. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  7. ^ a b Bob Rogers takes the cake Archived 26 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine – The Sydney Morning Herald 27 November 2006, retrieved 19 June 2008.
  8. ^ The Bob Rogers Show, Radio 2CH 10:33 AEDT 15 March 2007.
  9. ^ Drive with Derryn Hinch, Radio 3AW, 17:31 ADST, 9 October 2009.
  10. ^ The Bob Rogers Show, Radio 2CH, 11:26:30 AEST 24 June 2008.
  11. ^ a b c Bob Rogers Archived 28 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine – 2CH
  12. ^ a b The great survivor Archived 2 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine – The Sydney Morning Herald 28 October 2003, retrieved 18 June 2008.
  13. ^ a b Program eight: Policy Archived 8 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine – Australian Broadcasting Corporation 1999, retrieved 18 June 2008.
  14. ^ Beilby, Peter (1981). Australian TV: The First 25 Years. Nelson. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-17-005998-5.
  15. ^ Moran, Albert; Keating, Chris (4 August 2009). The A to Z of Australian Radio and Television. Scarecrow Press. p. 232. ISBN 978-0-8108-7022-2.
  16. ^ Apter, Jeff (4 August 2020). Friday on My Mind: The life of George Young. Allen & Unwin. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-76087-494-0.
  17. ^ Winn, John C. (9 December 2008). Way Beyond Compare: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume One, 1957-1965. Crown. p. 196. ISBN 978-0-307-45238-2.
  18. ^ "Bob Rogers". Canberra Times. 7 October 1976. p. 20. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  19. ^ "Bob Rogers fired over swearing". Canberra Times. 29 June 1977. p. 9. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  20. ^ Classic Rogers a big hit Archived 22 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine – Daily Telegraph
  21. ^ Talk beats music in radio ratings – The Australian
  22. ^ Brought to book, but Jones is still a hit Archived 22 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine – Sydney Morning Herald
  23. ^ Laws didn't call me an 'armpit transplant' – Hinch Archived 8 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine – Daily Telegraph
  24. ^ Radio stars 'go each other' in Sydney restaurant Archived 8 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine – Livenews
  25. ^ Laws launches tirade at Hinch and Rogers Archived 8 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine – The Sydney Morning
  26. ^ Herald Laws launches obscene tirade at Hinch Archived 7 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine – Ninemsn
  27. ^ "sound file" (MP£). Mpegmedia.abc.net.au. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  28. ^ "Award Extract - Australian Honours Search Facility". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 14 June 2010. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  29. ^ "Bob Rogers hangs up the headphones". Radioinfo. 9 November 2018. Archived from the original on 4 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  30. ^ "Tim Webster replaces Bob Rogers and Chris Kearns goes live at nights on 2CH". Radioinfo. 21 January 2019. Archived from the original on 4 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  31. ^ "Classic Hits 2CH Legend Bob Rogers announces his retirement". Radioinfo.com.au. 27 September 2020.
  32. ^ "2024 ACRAs: Full Winners List". Radioinfo. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
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