The vile antics of Kyle and Jackie O raise the question: is there a difference in the culture of radio in Sydney compared to elsewhere in Australia? As far as I know, there’s no-one comparable to that horrid pair on Melbourne FM radio. There also seems to be a difference in the talk hosts. Melbourne has its demagogues but there’s no real equivalent to Alan Jones or John Laws or the rest of them. Moreover, attempts to transplant Sydney shock jocks seem to have failed.

So what’s the explanation? OK, I get that these things foster a race to the bottom, that a single successful shock jock necessarily leads to an infestation. But that still isn’t an answer. Is there, perhaps, any connection with the success of public radio in Melbourne, so that the culture that allows a RRR to thrive is less likely to provide room for a Kyle Whateverhisname? Anyone have any better suggestions?