KG retires from weekday radio

[NFC]

I guess this is a good a place as any...

KEN Cunningham will announce his retirement from daily sports radio at 4pm today on his top-rating drive program with Graham Cornes on FIVEaa.

Cunningham, 69 tomorrow, will end his association with the Monday-to-Friday talkback sports program in December.

He will continue at FIVEaa with its top-rating Saturday Sports Show and in calling AFL football for the AM station next year.

Cunningham started daily talkback sports radio in 1977 at 5DN and moved to FIVEaa 17 years ago.

‘’I would have loved to have done the show until I was 70, but it is only one year – and you don’t always get all you want in life,’’ said Cunningham this afternoon after meeting FIVEaa executives.

‘’I understand perfectly how the station wants to change direction and how it wants to use me in a different role. This station has been fantastic to me and given me more than they needed to.’’

FIVEaa chief Paul Bartlett said his station felt “out of respect to ‘KG’ he should end his career while on top of his game and while no one can say he is past it.”

“He deserves to leave the sports show at his peak, but we are not letting him leave the station – he will still be here on weekends,” said Bartlett.

[Dirko]

Reading between the lines sounds like "retirement" may be too nice a word.

Well done KG on a distinguished career.

You can go watch your "beloved" Westies for the first time in 5 years

Now for 5AA to appoint someone relevant and in touch with the sporting world out there...

[MightyEagles]

Hopefully we can get more SANFL on weekdays. But that would go against 5aa is heading.

[NFC]

Reading between the lines sounds like "retirement" may be too nice a word.

Well done KG on a distinguished career.

You can go watch your "beloved" Westies for the first time in 5 years

Now for 5AA to appoint someone relevant and in touch with the sporting world out there...

Agreed on all fronts.

I was losing interest in the show and really couldn't listen for any long periods of time. Very little knowledge of the AFL and no knowledge of anything else. I know he was dedicated and put his heart into the show, but surely he could have done some more research on the youngsters ect so he could have a clue what he was talking about when it came to selections.

[JAS]

Reading between the lines sounds like "retirement" may be too nice a word.

Well done KG on a distinguished career.

You can go watch your "beloved" Westies for the first time in 5 years

Now for 5AA to appoint someone relevant and in touch with the sporting world out there...

Listening to them on 5aa it sounds pretty obvious he was pushed...you'd think they could let him have that final year...he only wanted to stay til 70 ffs.

Wish him well for the future and hope he enjoys all the time he can now spend with the grandkids he's always raved about.

Hope those phoning in will stop sounding like he just died and try to be a bit happier for him.

Don't suppose he'd be willing to take Thingy with him would he

Regards
JAS

[redandblack]

Congratulations to KG. We can all get a bit precious about him at times, but he's endured and been very successful.

[CK]

Congratulations to Ken Cunningham for a wonderful career in Adelaide radio. Grew up listening to him and used to watch KG's Footy Show as a boy, and he was a very familiar figure in football throughout. Will be hard to replace someone such as him.

[Dirko]

Don't suppose he'd be willing to take Thingy with him would he

Thingy

Ohh you mean Graham !

Actually, I have a great amount of respect for him as a footballer/coach and GFC legend, but on the radio
IMO he's a precocious dickhead !

Wouldn't mind a complete revamp of the sports show actually !

[Big Phil]

You beat me to it guys, I was in the middle of posting this and had to take a phone call...

I don't think "retirement" is the word, the title of my topic is more appropriate one would think...

Just tuned in for the start of the KG and Cornsey show on AA and they boys announced a bit of a bombshell...

Management has decided that at the end of the season, Kenneth George's services will no longer be required for the drive time talk back slot with Studley Cornes from 4pm to 7pm...

Ken said that he was told the news this morning by management that the station is looking for new blood in this time slot and will be bringing in someone younger to co-host with Graham. Ken was very gracious and appreciative of everything and everyone that has been involved in his illustrious career on the radio...

Not all doom and gloom for KG fans though, he is still going to be a part of the commentary team in season 2009 on AA and will be on the panel for the Saturday morning talk back show. There are a few old friends and business associates ringing up now thanking KG for his wonderful service over such a long and sustained career, 15 years I think, with Cornsey on the drive time show...

I'm very dissapointed for KG and I think that 5AA have screwede him over, but as always, the consumate professional in Ken has said he fully understands and accepts managements reasons for their decisions. Interesting to read the opinions of others on this topic, I'm sure there will be a few out there that think the other half of KG and Cornsey should be the one given the flick...

Well done KG on a wonderful career in the drive time slot, you can be very proud of your wonderful achievements of 30+ years in this industry...

[Felch]

Ive never been a huge fan of KG, and i think most people would agree he has no idea on a lot of issues and is severly out of touch, IMO.
But one thing for sure, he is a parochial South Aussie, loves this state, and is very passionate about it. And he seems to be a very genuine bloke, with his heart in the right place.

Good on ya KG !!!

[Thiele]

Well done KG on a excellent career you will be missed

[Dutchy]

Yes!!!!

finishes at the end of the year

2 years too late IMO

[CENTURION]

Great news! Now we have to put up with his ugly mug on bus-backs!!

[Brucetiki]

Hooray 5AA done us all a favour getting rid of this narrow-minded tool. Maybe in retirement he'll discover that Gepps Cross is not the end of the earth

[G]

Like most others, I congratulate KG on his career and his Sth Aust parochialism but I must say that for the past 2 years at least, his performance has slid and he was definately due for the pasture padddock.
ps. Ive met him a few times and he's a top bloke but everything has a use by date.

[Big Phil]

Here's what Michaelangelo Rucci had to say about the KG situation...

MICHELANGELO RUCCI, CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER
July 25, 2008 04:10pm
KEN Cunningham has just announced his retirement from daily sports radio on his top-rating drive program with Graham Cornes on FIVEaa.

Cunningham, 69 tomorrow, will end his association with the Monday-to-Friday talkback sports program in December.

He will continue at FIVEaa with its top-rating Saturday Sports Show and in calling AFL football for the AM station next year.

What are your memories of KG behind the mic - or on the sporting field? Let us know in the comment box at the bottom of the page.

Cunningham started daily talkback sports radio in 1977 at 5DN and moved to FIVEaa 17 years ago.

‘’I would have loved to have done the show until I was 70, but it is only one year – and you don’t always get all you want in life,’’ said Cunningham this afternoon after meeting FIVEaa executives.

‘’I understand perfectly how the station wants to change direction and how it wants to use me in a different role. This station has been fantastic to me and given me more than they needed to.’’

On air, Cornes said the decision had come "out of the blue".

Cunningham said it was a "sad day" but he was grateful his services would be retained for the weekend sports show and footy calling.

FIVEaa chief Paul Bartlett said his station felt “out of respect to ‘KG’ he should end his career while on top of his game and while no one can say he is past it.”

“He deserves to leave the sports show at his peak, but we are not letting him leave the station – he will still be here on weekends,” said Bartlett.

Before becoming a broadcaster, Cunningham played 97 first-class games for the South Australian cricket team and was an SANFL grand final umpire.

[zipzap]

For me KG is a bit like the Sunday Mail. Not too informative, Crows-centric, completely clueless at times...but I still buy it every week. And I still tune in every night.

Good innings KG

Let's hope 5BB (Baby Boomers) institutes a youth policy across the whole station, not just the sports show. I for one am damn sick of the endless retirement village and funeral commercials!

[Sojourner]

Much like CK I too grew up listening to KG on radio and watching his footy show. He will be very much sorely missed by me as a result. Still he couldent go on forever and after his heart attack last year I think he has done the right thing by taking a step backwards and bowing out. I think that his shoes will be pretty hard to fill though!

Thanks KG for the memories!

[redden whites]

Should have been charged with bringing the state into disrepute decades ago.Some of those those Footy Show crossovers were straight out deplorable.Who could forget the classic dumb and dumber dressed up as trots drivers night....gold

[bayman]

obviously pushed imho, which is very sad, someone that has been in a position for nearly 20 years & rating very well, deserves some respect & i don't think he's got this today