Latest news with #BrendanJones
Daily Mail
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Gold FM radio legends Jonesy and Amanda 'jumping ship' to another Sydney station as their potential replacement is revealed
Speculation is mounting that Gold FM stalwarts Amanda Keller and Brendan Jones could be readying to jump ship to a rival network. The pair, who have been hosting breakfast at the Sydney station 101.7 (formerly WSFM) for 20 years, have been rumoured to be eyeing off a spot at Triple M. According to recent reports, management at Gold are contemplating shifting the pair's popular Jonesy and Amanda show to the drive-time slot. Taking their current spot would be Melbourne based Gold star Christian O'Connell. Since this would mean a salary cut for Jonesy and Amanda, reported The Australian's Media Diary on Monday, insiders say that the pair are 'in talks' with Triple M. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Keller, 63, and Jones, 57, could be a catch for Triple M, after their Sydney breakfast team suffered a brutal blow in the third radio ratings survey of 2025. The Triple M trio of Beau Ryan, Aaron 'Woodsy' Woods and Cat Lynch's lost 1.5 per cent of the market share in survey two, and dropped another 1.5 in the latest survey. This puts them with a 4.4 market share from a previous 5.9. Meanwhile, Jonesy and Amanda finished third in the survey with a 9.3 per cent audience share, with 2GB's Ben Fordham in second place. It comes after the wildly popular Kyle & Jackie O Show was again number one in FM breakfast in Sydney, with a market share of 12.5 (up by 0.2). Though their performance in Melbourne has slightly dipped again and they dropped 0.7 to a 5.1 market share following the gains they made last survey. Sydney juggernauts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson have been embroiled in the battle since their multimillion-dollar expansion into the city saw ex KIIS FM stars Jason 'Jase' Hawkins and Lauren Phillips be axed. On April 29, 2024 Sandilands and Henderson took The Kyle & Jackie O Show to Melbourne in a huge multimillion-dollar expansion deal. The move triggered the axing of Hawkins and Phillips own KIIS FM breakfast show. Sandilands and Henderson have since struggled to capture the Melbourne market. In November, Sandilands vowed to reduce the graphic sexual content on his KIIS FM radio show this year to appeal to the Melbourne audience more broadly. Brisbane listeners, meanwhile, have only embraced the pain tentatively with their syndicated drive-time slot, 'Hour of Power' finishing this survey with an 11 per cent share of the audience. The result puts them behind the Nova, B105 and Triple M in the same slot.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Floodplain map updates stall western NC rebuilding efforts
Six months after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, the rebuilding of homes has yet to begin due to uncertainties about eligibility and federal regulations, according to WRAL. State officials informed lawmakers that it will be several more months before rebuilding efforts commence, and the process could extend until 2030. The delay is partly due to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) updating flood plain maps, which will determine eligibility for federal rebuilding funds. 'We're not going to do that again. We're asking you to help us help you. Make this work fast. Make it work quick. We don't have six years to do this,' said Rep. Brendan Jones, expressing frustration over the slow recovery process. Stephanie McGarrah, a top state Commerce Department official, acknowledged the lengthy timeline but promised to expedite the process. She highlighted the personal significance of the recovery efforts, as she grew up in the affected area. ALSO READ: Gov. Stein to visit western NC after Senate approves round of Helene disaster relief The geography of western North Carolina poses additional challenges for rebuilding. The mountainous terrain complicates construction efforts, and there is a shortage of skilled workers for building on such landscapes. The hearing also revealed political tensions, with some lawmakers urging the state to challenge FEMA's flood plain mapping efforts. They fear that updated maps could prevent residents from rebuilding on ancestral lands. Sen. Tim Moffitt suggested ignoring federal regulations to allow rebuilding in flood plains, while Rep. Mark Pless advocated for resisting changes to the landscape that could hinder rebuilding efforts. The state plans to construct new affordable housing for those displaced, but this has raised concerns among lawmakers about the allocation of funds and potential impacts on compensation for storm victims. The ongoing recovery efforts face significant hurdles, including federal regulations, challenging geography, and political disagreements. Despite these challenges, officials are committed to accelerating the rebuilding process to restore homes and communities in western North Carolina. VIDEO: Gov. Stein to visit western NC after Senate approves round of Helene disaster relief
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
For NC's Helene team, challenges begin: Slow-moving money, housing data and demanding lawmakers
North Carolina Rep. Brendan Jones (R-Columbus), left, and Sen. Brent Jackson (R-Bladen) listen to testimony at a hearing on Hurricane Helene recovery on March 6, 2025. (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline) State officials charged with leading western North Carolina's recovery from Hurricane Helene have warned that there are years of rebuilding ahead. But top state lawmakers made their expectations clear Thursday: they want shovels in the ground, and houses under construction, as soon as possible. During a two-hour hearing, Republicans demanded details on how Gov. Josh Stein's lieutenants for Helene recovery would approach homebuilding — a process that bedeviled former Gov. Roy Cooper's administration and infuriated lawmakers across the aisle. 'It's starting to feel like Groundhog Day again,' said Rep. Brenden Jones (R-Columbus), the House majority leader. 'We don't have six years to do this,' he added. 'I want to see some houses. This body wants to see some houses. We want some people made whole.' But rebuilding can't begin in earnest without funding, administration officials said — and it remains an uphill battle to get aid money flowing into the mountains. The legislature is on the brink of approving $140 million to kickstart the program. But federal dollars — which make up the lion's share of relief — will be slow to arrive, between a strict regulatory process and staffing shakeups in Washington. 'We have to work through (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) and the federal requirements,' said Stephanie McGarrah, a Stein appointee heading up a new Department of Commerce team focused on Helene. 'We just have to be realistic about what we can, and cannot do, with these funds.' Officials have submitted their plan to spend $1.4 billion in federal dollars — a key chunk of money for housing efforts. But reported cuts to the office handling that money could complicate things. McGarrah said when the state met with HUD officials last week, 'they couldn't confirm' whether or not those cuts were coming. When that money does arrive (likely in late summer), the administration will face other obstacles in spending it. Information on housing damage in the region is fuzzy, McGarrah said, between FEMA, the Small Business Administration, HUD and local governments. 'We're struggling to define the problem because of the data we have and don't have,' she said. Republicans are frustrated by those complications. Sen. Timothy Moffitt (R-Henderson) said he didn't have a lot of trust in either the state or federal efforts. 'I would trust my colleagues to take a checkbook to their districts,' he said. 'Because we could administer that more immediately than these complicated processes.' Sen. Julie Mayfield (D-Buncombe) cautioned her colleagues against directing frustrations attributable to federal government delays and inaction toward state officials. 'I don't want us to be back here in two years yelling at you all because of chaos at the federal level that has prevented that money from flowing,' Mayfield said. The state will soon start taking steps towards a formal housing aid program. Jonathan Krebs, Stein's advisor for western North Carolina, said they'd begin shopping for a vendor to lead the application process 'within the next 30 days.' But they would not begin accepting applicants for rebuilding until the money was totally guaranteed, he said. 'Our ability to not wait depends on your action,' Krebs told lawmakers. Stein's Helene staff shared a raft of data and numbers with legislators Thursday as they outlined recovery efforts. Here are a few of the most notable. 30-40: How many staff McGarrah is estimating her Commerce team will hire to handle Helene. Cooper's homebuilding agency, ReBuild NC, attracted Republicans' ire by hiring more than 200. The administration plans to rely more heavily on outside contractors than prior relief teams. Currently, McGarrah's team has just a handful of employees. $57 million: An estimate of how much outstanding Helene repairs to public school facilities will cost the state. 'Additional need is required,' officials note in a presentation to lawmakers. $191 million: The amount of federal money that state officials have proposed spending on rebuilding rental housing. It caught the attention of Rep. Mark Pless (R-Haywood), who grilled officials on how it would be used. $50 million: The amount expended by the Department of Commerce (through the Golden LEAF Foundation) for small business loans. That's all of the money allocated to the program. Business owners have continued to call for further aid from the state.
The Hill
06-03-2025
- Automotive
- The Hill
Tesla remains a top player in EV game despite sales drop in Europe. Will that last? Interview
Electric vehicle industry expert Brendan Jones shares insight on the future of Evs under the new Trump administration. #ev #electricvehicles
