Hamish Macdonald announced as new host of Sydney Mornings on ABC Radio

Hamish Macdonald has been unveiled as the new host of Sydney Mornings on ABC Radio.

He replaces Sarah Macdonald after she was unceremoniously dumped by the national broadcaster at the end of last year.

Macdonald will present the program four days a week, while journalist Kathryn Robinson will host the show on Fridays.

“First and foremost I would like to pay tribute to the hard work and dedication of Sarah Macdonald,” Macdonald said. “I know these are big shoes to fill.”

“I look forward to putting my head down, getting to work from Monday and serving the great 702 audience in what will be a huge news year for Sydney.”

His reference to 702 is the ABC Radio Sydney wavelength on the dial.

Speculation increased. Macdonald was set to become the new host following revelations that his namesake’s contract would not be renewed.

Richard Glover, Simon Marnie and Robbie Buck were also told their contracts would not be extended until 2025.

Ben Latimer, ABC’s head of audio, said ABC officials said in a statement at the time that the changes were “driven by rapidly evolving audience expectations.”

“Change is never easy and of course the impact on some of our colleagues is difficult,” he wrote.

He added that the 2025 selection decisions had been “carefully thought through and discussed” and noted that the ABC is “navigating a period of important transition”.

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