Episode 381: Greg Radley

Had Greg Radley not tried his hand as a radio presenter in Brisbane and Sydney he may still be calling races in the Hunter Valley where it all began thirty five years ago. His curiosity about other avenues of sports media saw him develop a special talent as a presenter and interviewer. Today he’s the polished professional who hosts several key Sky Thoroughbred Central programmes. We talk to Greg about his fascinating journey to the top of his profession.  He describes his enduring love for his hometown of Newcastle. Greg pays tribute to his father Terry, a former top sportswriter for the Newcastle Herald and other publications. He talks of Terry’s passion for harness racing and those fun filled nights at the old Newcastle Showground track.  He speaks fondly of mother Ann, brothers Michael and Tony and his only sister Clare. Greg acknowledges the tremendous support he got from the late John McDermott in the early years.  “Macca” became his tutor and close friend. He tells a great story about the night the broadcast line failed at Newcastle trots. He called the race under amazing circumstances. Greg looks back on a short stint as a track clocker at Newcastle. He looks back on his association with the legendary form publication Trotguide which was a launching pad for several outstanding journalists. Greg reflects on the shock phone call from the late Wayne Wilson offering him a job with Brisbane radio station 4BC. He talks of the experience that would change the course of his career. This man got more surprise phone calls than most. He remembers the day he was contacted by the former NSW Premier who had moved on to manage 2KY. Next change of career direction came when Ray Hadley made the move from 2UE to 2GB. Greg admits he was nervous about changing stations, but in hindsight wouldn’t change a thing. Greg looks back on his return to 2KY and new opportunities. This was around the time he perfected voice impersonations of many media colleagues. He finished up turning it into a cabaret act. He looks back on his move into satellite television in 2001 and the popular programmes with which he’s been involved.  Greg nominates his favourites among the hundreds of interviews he’s conducted on radio and television.  He looks back on the day Winx farewelled the race track. He was deeply moved by the pageantry of the occasion. Greg talks about family life with wife Joanne, son Jake and stepson Ryan. He talks of the tragic loss of seventeen year old Drew, and makes special mention of his three grandchildren. We close with Greg’s acknowledgement of the many talented people he’s worked with over his long career.