Jeremy Cordeaux retires
The Listener
years - seeing he 'owns' 5DN mornings ;)
The Listener
Voice signs off after 42 years
ELISAA DOHERTY
811 words
19 September 2004
Sunday Mail
1 - State
3
English
Copyright 2004 News Ltd. All Rights Reserved
THE voice of Adelaide has hung up his microphone.
Jeremy Cordeaux, the one-time undisputed king of talkback radio, will
retire from 5DN at the end of October after an award-winning 42-year
career in radio and TV.
Cordeaux, who celebrated his 59th birthday yesterday with wife
Caroline and son Christopher, said he had been contemplating
retirement for at least two years.
"I've had 42 years doing something I always wanted to do, and loved,
and think I've achieved everything I could want and more," he said
yesterday, sipping a glass of red wine.
"I sort of feel satisfied about it, I've loved every moment of it.
"After 42 years I can say I've done a fair amount of good, in terms of
helping people.
"If you do your job properly the community feels they're very close to
you."
Cordeaux, who has interviewed everyone from Hollywood stars to prime
ministers, said he didn't want to reach the point where "you don't
exist unless you put that red light on".
"That's that chapter, what's next is not the next chapter, but the
next book," he said, adding he plans to throw himself into gardening
and tinkering with his collection of 12 old cars.
The news comes as Cordeaux recovers from months of battling pneumonia
and last week's ratings - the worst he has experienced in the past
four years.
He partly blames health problems for rating 3.8 - down from 7 points
in the previous survey - but also believes not having the Olympics
coverage and the station's departure from purely talk radio have
contributed.
"I think a radio station, particularly on the AM band, should be
talk," he said.
"But, most importantly, I don't think you can have talk and music -
it's got to be one thing or another.
"It's just a personal feeling. I learned a long time ago that people
do not like the advice on how to run the business from the morning
talkback presenter."
As a lifeline and sounding board for countless listeners, he has also
won numerous awards which line the walls and shelves in his pool room,
including a Walkley Award for best current affairs show in Australia.
That came in 1984 after a live interview with one of the notorious
Truro murderers, James Miller, who rang from Yatala prison to argue
his innocence.
Cordeaux also recalls being unable to hold back tears when a woman
called him on-air from a public phone-box wanting to commit suicide -
one of about 10 people to do so.
"The most memorable was a woman who had an overdose, she was coming in
and out of consciousness," he recalls.
"The conversation went for about 45 minutes and you forget about
commercial breaks and news bulletins."
With Telecom unable to trace the call, he remembers a taxi driver who
had been listening finally tracked her down after driving from phone
box to phone box. "He just picked up the phone and said `I've got
her'."
Such moments have given Cordeaux the greatest satisfaction.
Two months ago he officially resigned, but only a handful of people
were privy to Adelaide radio's biggest secret.
"Last year I talked Jeremy out of retiring twice," station manager
Steve Rowe said.
"He has been up there in the company of some of the country's best
talk hosts yet he has never forgotten the people side of the business.
I would suggest there are others in his league around the country who
could take a few notes."
For now, on his first day of retirement on October 28, he is looking
forward to bucking his ritual by sleeping in and ignoring all papers,
news and current affairs shows. He is contracted to 5DN for three
months after retirement and while he has no future plans, he hinted he
would consider any offers.
"This year has been hard for me," he said.
"The Prime Minister says you should go on working until you are 70,
75, but first I want to get rid of this (ill health), then have a
year's rest, then I might think about that.
"I am wonderfully grateful and thankful to the people of Adelaide -
and who knows, I may be back."
Life on air
Name: Jeremy Nicolas Cordeaux
Born: 18 Sep 1945, Sydney
Education: Trinity Grammar School to Year 11
Family: Married to Caroline Peacock with a son, Christopher. Children
Christian, Saxon and Amber from first marriage.
First job: office boy with 2GB radio, 1963
1976: Moves to Adelaide for morning talk show on 5DN.
1988: Bought share of 5DN. Newsreader, Channel 7.
1990: Bought share in 5AD.
1995-96: Sold share in both, returned to 5DN talkback.
[SUM_T-20040919-1-003-768653 ]
Document SUNMAI0020040919e09j00003
michael
"The Listener" <observa...@tpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:affdc486.04091...@posting.google.com...
The Listener
> There'll be some people who won't miss him.
Agreed. The article was 'over friendly' as well I felt.