Anthony Maroon

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Anthony Maroon is a Sydney (Australia) radio personality and was born in the same city.

In late 1989, Maroon graduated from the well-known private Sydney radio school, Max Roley's Media Academy, and headed for his first on-air radio job at station 2NZ in Inverell, New South Wales.

At that time Maroon was still an extreme rookie, not knowing how to fly the station's on-air equipment, read commercials or project his voice in a professional manner.

An early influence on Maroon was another 2NZ announcer, New Zealand born Jason West, who later changed his name, completed a Journalism MA, and went to work as an Overseas Foreign Correspondent for the BBC World Service. West coached Anthony in several areas such as how to project personality, speaking 1-to-1 and the broadcast concept of 'just one listener'.

After West left 2NZ (referring to the station as a backward place to work and the town of Inverell as 'Inver-Hell'), Maroon soon followed. It was then late 1990.

Maroon landed a job doing drive (the early evening slot) at Goulburn station 2GN. From here he quickly progressed to the breakfast position and became one of the more popular of past 2GN breakfast hosts, being able to identify with a country audience that loved sport and the more simple things in life.

Jason West, who had kept tabs on Maroon's career, once sent 2GN an early tape recording of Maroon, totally messing up his presentation on earlier station, 2NZ. Attached, West had written a note: 'Don't forget where you came from', a firm memo for Anthony to stay down to earth about the radio business.

Maroon's third station was i98-FM in Wollongong, where he commenced back on the late evening shift (a shift he had not done since 2NZ days), but soon after progressed to the breakfast programme. It was in Wollongong that Maroon became a TV figure, hosting the football programme on the local channel, Win-TV.

A few years later, Maroon scored what he said back in 2NZ days would be his ultimate dream: 'to work back in Sydney, my home town - but work in radio'. After being offered a job doing late evenings at Sydney station 2MMM, he packed up his bags and quickly transferred his life back to Sydney.

TODAY: In January 2008, after years of doing nights at 2MMM, Maroon took on the role of anchor for the breakfast radio show, The Shebang.

It's been said by Maroon's agent, that his major strength is his ability to 'read an audience'. Jason West, now a roving BBC reporter (and using a different name to protect his identity), remembers the young Maroon, stating that, "Anthony was never the most intellectual, deep thinking guy, but he has a huge ability to instantly make friends, utilizing other people for the skills he needs to learn most - and then bravely using the new skills, whether really ready or not".

In hindsight, it is quite an achievement that Maroon has got to where he is, after working for only three stations (2NZ, 2GN and i98). Yet, apart from abilities already outlined, Maroon is the ideal Sydney radio personality type: Sydney is his native turf, he is of firm local Lebanese family heritage, his relative Craig Maroon was a major sports figure for the South's Football team in the 1980's and Anthony Maroon's background has been very much working class, the same people he talks to on a daily basis.

[edit] Trivia

  • Maroon is married to Christine, and has two children.

[edit] References