Radio's groping scandal is just the tip of the iceberg: Ex-producer JANA HOCKING reveals the 'cleavage trick' she used to survive - and a hungover host who made three women cry
What I saw in the news this week sent a quiet inner rage boiling to the surface.There he was - an ageing, blustering radio boss barging onto the stage at a radio awards night, seemingly desperate to hijack the spotlight from his female employee who had just won an award she said she had 'worked her entire life for'. This, reportedly, is the same woman he had told didn't have a chance of winning in her category - moments before she did.It seems that seeing her win wasn't enough; he had to seize the spotlight for himself.He barrelled in with what can only be called an aggressively over-the-top hug and, as if that public humiliation wasn't sufficient, reached and grabbed her bottom.All in front of a room packed with colleagues, guests and her husband. You can hear the gasps in the footage. It has been two years since Daily Mail columnist Jana Hocking (pictured) left radio after a decade in production and publicity. She says little has changed He then threw his hands into the air like he'd just kicked the winning goal at the MCG and jumped off the stage.But radio's moment wasn't over yet.Moments later, I stumbled on a 'guess who don't sue' blind item about a famously hot-headed radio presenter who was back to his usual tricks.This time, he was lashing a producer, allegedly barking: 'You'll never work again.'One quick group text and the answer pinged back: yes, it was exactly who we thought it was. The least surprising name in radio.This wasn't some one-off outburst - this guy's notorious for it.Frankly, he seems to relish belittling his staff.If it happened in the bedroom, they'd call it a kink. 'My time on Triple M's Grill Team was some of the best years of my life. And strangely, it's the footy players that turned out to be the most respectful.' (Jana is seen with the Grill Team. None of the people shown was involved in the poor conduct Jana witnessed during her radio career) Presenter Cheralyn Darcey being groped on stage after receiving an award was just one of three disappointing incidents in the world of radio this weekBut, wait, radio wasn't done yet. A mere 24 hours later, my news feed filled with yet another forehead-slapping moment.Olympic legend Susie O'Neill accidentally 'outed' an AFL player, who, it turns out, isn't actually gay. Now, to be fair, we've all made boo-boos before. Once, during my time in radio, I accidentally told our hosts - moments before they went on the air - that Robbie Williams had died. I had to make an eleventh hour sprint back into the studio yelling, 'It's ROBIN Williams. ROBIN.' So yes, I understand the chaos of making a mistake on live radio. It happens.But rather than apologising and moving on, she and the hosts doubled down - inviting the footballer on for a laugh (fair enough), only for him to launch into an oh-so-'90s impersonation of what he imagined was a 'gay accent'.Absolute vintage cringe.The whole episode left me thinking, 'Um, radio... are you alright? After quietly stewing for a while, I realised the last week left me feeling a certain way.Now, I'm about to use a word I normally can't stand - but Gen Z loves it - so bear with me: what I really felt, that had been building all week, was… triggered.Because in the two years since I left radio, it seems nothing has changed.The same backward Mad Men-era shenanigans are still going on behind the scenes, it seems - and it's not even surprising anymore.During my decade working in radio, I witnessed some pretty wild moments. I've worked with radio hosts who sounded like sunshine on air, then morphed into spit-flying demons the moment the microphones went off.In fact, one former radio presenter still holds the record for making three female colleagues - myself included - all cry in the during a three-hour live show.He'd had an absolute bender the night before and decided to take his hangover out on every female within range. Strangely, he never targeted male producers. He screamed at me because a caller dropped out mid-interview. Like I can control a guest's dodgy phone service.He yelled at a colleague because his breakfast - a greasy McDonald's to mop up the last of the alcohol in his system - hadn't arrived yet.Then he turned on a promotions manager because a live-read advertisement had - get ready to clutch your pearls - a spelling error.Now, I pride myself on being able to work with some tricky characters. Radio was designed for big personalities, and with that occasionally comes big tempers. But this man made everyone uncomfortable.By the end of that morning's breakfast shift, the three of us were truly rattled.Back then, we had a trick for keeping his temper at bay - a stunt that would land me in HR before lunchtime these days.If we sensed he was about to blow, I'd be sent to the floor-to-ceiling studio windows, pressing my cleavage against the glass to get a laugh out of him, quickly defusing his mood.It worked. Every. Single. Time.Now, for the record, I've worked with some brilliant, lovely men.My time on Triple M's Grill Team was some of the best years of my life. And strangely, it was the footy players who turned out to be the most respectful of the bunch.I remember one drunk rock star who stumbled into the studio for an interview and, halfway through, announced to our entire audience that he'd taken quite a shine to 'the blonde producer' - yours truly. The vibe turned creepy fast, but my hosts didn't miss a beat: they shut him down instantly and made sure he was escorted from the building by our burliest male producer, not me.My fellow male producer, and my boss back then - a former breakfast radio star - were also true legends of the radio game.But then there was the male radio boss who loved to make me squirm.I remember it vividly - I'd just returned from a European summer, and he turned my homecoming into a full-blown production, as radio bosses love to do. The thing about radio bosses is, they're almost always ex-presenters who never quite made it, so they migrate behind the scenes. The urge for an audience never really leaves them.He announced in front of everyone, 'Ok Jana, get out your pics, let's have a look at your holiday.'As I begrudgingly showed him a few boring shots of the Amalfi Coast, he said in a booming voice, 'No, no, not those ones! The ones of you in a bikini.'He wasn't joking. 'Radio isn't the victim of the podcast age, as everyone keeps ranting on about. It's the victim of its own refusal to grow up,' writes Jana (pictured during her Triple M days)He wasn't the only one. Another former male boss who would get people to slow-clap me on the days I wore a skirt to the office. Because apparently showing your kneecaps turns some old-school radio buffoons into slobbering schoolboys.And in the spirit of equality, I'll admit that not all the angels had wings - a few of the women had horns too.In my very early years in radio, one female presenter who'd been working the brutal breakfast shift for too many years, completely snapped.She literally locked me in a room and refused to let me leave until we had 'sorted out our differences'. I had to call my boss - who was literally in the next room - and whisper 'please help' into the phone like I was negotiating a hostage situation.I look back now and laugh at the memory of my boss coming to my rescue. But at the time? Not so much.My time in radio was truly a ride.And seeing that, after all this time, nothing has really changed - that's the most depressing part of all. Radio isn't the victim of the podcast age, as everyone keeps ranting on about.It's the victim of its own refusal to grow up. But not all is lost dear reader. Triple M Sydney is now run by Laura Bouchet, who was once in the trenches with me. 2DAY FM Sydney is currently being steered to (hopefully) brighter days under the leadership of Amanda Lee, and even ARN is seeing a turning of the guard with Kerri Elstub now in charge.Plus, I'm hearing amazing things from the new head of Triple M Nationally, Matt O'Reilly.Maybe Radio isn't dead, it just needed an out-with-the-old policy.
