Friday, 1 March 2013

A "Fresh" Ausie Voice on the Air


A new morning radio host made his debut in Winnipeg this past week.

 

Matt Sutton moves to 99.1 Fresh FM all the way from Brisbane, Australia, according to chrisd.ca. He previously worked at B105 as their morning announcer and operations manager. No stranger to Canada, Sutton has also worked in London, Ontario.

 

Sutton brings his own unique brand of Aussie charm and humour to the Winnipeg airwaves. To my knowledge, we’ve never had an Australian on the air in our city before, and I think it’s a welcome change.

 

I’ve read gripes on various radio forums about Sutton being an Australian taking away a gig from an out of work Canadian who has the talent, could use the job, and the money. While this is a valid point, I think Sutton brings a quirky and fun vibe to Fresh FM, one that will drive ratings. If nothing else, he’s got me listening to a format which I’m not normally that partial to (Hot Adult Contemporary).

 

Of course, Sutton isn’t the only draw for listeners. Joining him is cohost Jennifer David, who seems to have the perfect bubbly blend of sweetness and personality. Plus, she’s also a Creative Communications grad, so she gets an automatic endorsement from me right off the bat.

 

Either way, they’ve been a great pair to wake up to so far. They’ve been doing fun bits like asking each other rapid fire questions in the “30 Second Truth Booth” and trying to teach each other how to speak “properly” in Canadian and Ausie accents. And Sutton is going to a Jets game this Saturday night, so he asked listeners to vote for the player who will grace the back of his new Jets jersey.

 

Sutton arrives as stations prepare for the spring ratings period beginning March 4. In the fall book, Fresh FM earned a 2.5 share in the 12+ demographic. In my own biased opinion, I bet Matt and Jen earn them at least a 3 share.

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