Month: July 2026

After 26 years leading ABC Overnights, Trevor Chappell has announced he will leave the program at the end of July.

For more than two decades, Trevor has been the voice of the ABC’s graveyard shift, bringing company, comfort and joy to listeners through the quiet hours as presenter of Overnights.

Reflecting on his first moments on air, Trevor said: “My first shift was terrifying. Everything was scripted and organised to the minute, but there is no allowance for nerves. After a few early stumbles we finally took a call from Pamela, my first talkback caller, and from that moment everything was okay. The kindness and generosity of listeners made that first day, and the 26 years since, so rewarding and a joy.”

Like so many of his listeners since that first call, Trevor developed a personal connection with Pamela and even visited her during a trip to Queensland.

While most of us sleep, Trevor has built a loyal audience of night owls, including shift workers, insomniacs and Nyctophiles. It is a close and distinctive bond, formed in the dark and often shaped by conversations more open than those had in daylight.

Trevor said the connection with listeners grew over time: “I got to know people over a period of time. You get to know their history, what makes them laugh. You can muck around a bit and not be too serious. By having that relationship, it encourages more people to call in as well.

“It is impossible to do shift work for as long as I have without support at work and at home. From producers like Michael Pavlich and Mick James, alongside colleagues including Helen Richardson and John Standish, our regular callers and my partner Cathy at home, that support has made a 25-year career possible.”

To farewell his sleepless fans, Trevor will host an intimate Night at the Museum event and broadcast his Overnights program live from Melbourne Museum, from late night to early morning on Tuesday 28 July.

Audience members can find out more about and apply to attend the overnight broadcast inside Melbourne Museum here.

The event offers listeners the chance to experience the museum after dark and see live radio unfold against the backdrop of night turning into morning in Melbourne.

Lynley Crosswell, CEO & Director Museums Victoria said: “There are few voices Australians have spent more late nights with than Trevor Chappell.  We’re proud to host one of Trevor’s final broadcasts live at Melbourne Museum. Like the ABC, Museums Victoria exists to spark curiosity and connect people through a compelling story. We look forward to welcoming Trevor and his listeners.”

Trevor Chappell grew up in Western Australia and, after leaving high school, worked in a range of jobs across the state. His early roles took him from mines and wheat bins in the far north-west to building sites and a pub in Broome.

He began his radio career as a producer at Perth’s 6PR before returning to Melbourne in 1995 as a casual producer with the ABC. He spent four years as a producer and roving reporter for 774 ABC Melbourne and Victorian Regional Radio before taking on Overnights in 2000.

“For 25 years, Trevor Chappell has been a trusted companion to Australians through the quietest hours of the night,” said ABC Director Audio Ben Latimer. 

“His warmth, humour and genuine curiosity have made Overnights a place where listeners feel heard, connected and welcome. Trevor’s contribution to ABC Radio is remarkable, not only for its longevity but for the deep bond he has built with audiences across the country. We thank him for his extraordinary service and look forward to celebrating him with listeners as he signs off from the program.”

Trevor’s final program will be on Thursday 30 July. The ABC will announce the new Overnights presenter in the coming weeks.

Sports broadcaster and former ABC Bonner Committee Chair, Dr. Charlie King AM, has announced his retirement from the ABC, marking the end of a remarkable career dedicated to serving audiences in the Top End and across Australia.

Over more than three decades with the ABC, Charlie has been a trusted and respected voice, particularly for communities in the Northern Territory. His long-standing commitment to First Nations audiences and to local storytelling has left a lasting legacy across ABC Sport and beyond.

Charlie has been a central voice in Territory sport for decades, as presenter of the local Grandstand program and became the first Indigenous Australian to commentate at an Olympic Games at Beijing in 2008.

In addition to his broadcasting career, Charlie served as Chair of the ABC Bonner Committee for more than a decade, playing a pivotal role in strengthening the organisation’s commitment to First Nations staff, culture and leadership. In 2019, Charlie was inducted into the AFL Northern Territory Hall of Fame (Media), recognised for his decades as a leading voice of Territory football and for his long‑running contribution to the growth of women’s football in the NT.

Also in 2019, he was named Northern Territory Senior Australian of the Year, recognising not only his distinguished broadcasting career but his long‑standing advocacy against domestic and family violence. Through his NO MORE campaign, launched in 2006, Charlie has worked with sporting codes and communities across the NT to promote zero tolerance of violence, while also spending more than 20 years volunteering to support men in contact with the justice system. His work has been recognised with an Order of Australia.

Charlie said: “I have always been proud to work at the ABC. I grew up listening to the ABC, and never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would go on to have such a long and rewarding career here. From the very beginning, I felt supported and welcomed as part of the ABC family.

“Being involved in the Olympic and Commonwealth Games was both a thrill and a great honour, experiences I will always cherish. As a Gurindji man, I was deeply aware of the responsibility I carried. I wanted to lead the way for more Aboriginal people to find their place at the ABC, and that motivated me to present myself in a way that reflected the importance and value of our presence in the organisation.

“I am particularly proud of the work of the Bonner Committee, what we achieved together and what continues to grow from that foundation. My time at the ABC also gave me the privilege to engage with communities on a wide range of issues beyond sport, and to help ensure that the voices of Aboriginal people were heard and respected by a broader audience.

“After many rewarding years, I leave with a deep sense of gratitude and pride in what we have accomplished together.”

ABC Director First Nations Strategy and Bundjalung woman Kelly Williams, said Charlie’s contribution to the organisation had been profound. “The ABC experienced significant change during Dr Charlie King’s tenure as Chair of the Bonner Committee.  As the ABC’s peak Indigenous advisory group, the Committee benefited greatly from Charlie’s leadership and counsel, which helped pave the way for many Indigenous employees to showcase their leadership.  In recognition of his outstanding service, Dr King became the first employee to be appointed a lifetime member of the ABC’s Bonner Committee.”

ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks also paid tribute to Charlie’s career. “Charlie King leaves the ABC with a legacy defined by integrity, leadership and a deep connection to Top End communities. Through his journalism and service, including his tenure as Chair of the Bonner Committee, Charlie made a lasting and valued contribution. We thank him sincerely for his commitment and wish him every success and happiness in the future.”

Christmas has come early, with Santa Radio returning to LiSTNR for the first-ever Christmas in July celebration.

After becoming LiSTNR’s most-streamed music station last December, Santa Radio is back all month long with wall-to-wall festive favourites, because December simply felt too far away. The tree might be packed away, but the music isn’t.

Christmas in July has long held a special place in Australia, where the festive season’s traditional imagery of roaring fires, roast dinners, winter nights and cosy nostalgia can feel worlds away from a December spent in the heat of summer. With ABS data showing almost one-third of Australia’s population was born overseas, including around 2.4 million people born in Europe or North America, Santa Radio’s mid-year return taps into a familiar feeling for millions of Australians who grew up with Christmas as a winter celebration. 

Whether it’s a cosy night by the fire, a Christmas in July dinner with friends, a taste of home for those who grew up with a winter Christmas, or simply embracing a little festive nostalgia during Australia’s colder months, Santa Radio delivers all the Christmas music and none of the December stress.

Listeners can stream Santa Radio exclusively on LiSTNR throughout July, with the station also available on Foxtel, bringing Christmas Hits and Festive Feels to homes across Australia.

From modern classics by Mariah Carey, Michael Bublé and Kelly Clarkson to timeless favourites from Bing Crosby and Brenda Lee, Santa Radio has curated the ultimate soundtrack for a mid-year festive celebration.

Lindsay Harapa, LiSTNR Senior Music Director – Digital Radio, said: “Last December, Santa Radio became LiSTNR’s most-streamed music station, and the response from listeners showed just how much Australians love embracing the festive spirit. Christmas in July has become part of the way many Australians celebrate winter, especially for those who grew up with Christmas as a cold-weather tradition. We thought, why wait another six months? Winter feels better with a little Christmas in July, and we’re excited to bring Santa Radio back for the very first time outside the traditional festive season. It’s all the Christmas music people love, without the December rush.”

Santa Claus, Head of Christmas Operations, said: “I’d barely finished putting the sleigh in the garage when people started asking when Santa Radio would be back. Mrs Claus tells me it’s important to take a break, but I simply couldn’t ignore all the Christmas lovers who thought December was too far away. The elves have dusted off the tinsel, Rudolph’s polished his nose, and we’re delighted to celebrate Christmas in July with everyone across Australia. Ho ho ho!”

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been naughty or nice, celebrate Christmas in July with Santa Radio, streaming now on the free LiSTNR app and available on Foxtel throughout July.