Sarah Macdonald will return to presenting 702 ABC Sydney radio next year, taking on the Afternoons show from March. The announcement comes two years after her contract was not renewed, and she will replace the late James Valentine in the timeslot.
Return announced by ABC director audio
Ben Latimer, ABC director audio, announced her return on Wednesday. Latimer had removed Macdonald without explanation in 2024.
“We’ve heard just how much 702 ABC Sydney listeners have missed Sarah, and I’m delighted she has agreed to return,” Latimer said.
“There’s something special about Sarah taking on Afternoons. She knew James well, she knows the audience, and she understands what the program means to them. I’m really looking forward to hearing her make Afternoons her own.”
Macdonald's sacking and reaction
The popular ABC Sydney mornings presenter was sacked in November 2024, sparking an outcry from fellow presenters and listeners. Macdonald announced her departure on air, telling listeners: “Well, here’s the news from me in terms of disappointment. Listen, I’m not going to be on the radio with you next year, the ABC has decided not to renew my contract here at Mornings.”
“I am proud of what I’ve done. The ratings are up. I’ve broken lots of stories. Had the first interview with the new governor general. I got the premier of New South Wales to regularly take your calls. Led the election coverage, led the move to our Parramatta studios.”
Valentine's legacy and Macdonald's response
Valentine, a broadcaster and saxophonist, died in April, three months after retiring from 25 years of hosting Sydney’s Afternoons program. Macdonald confirmed she received a text from ABC managing director Hugh Marks on April Fool’s Day asking for a meeting.
“I have missed the ABC listeners’ wit and wisdom,” Macdonald said. “I thank them for their support, and I look forward to hanging out again. I will do my best to inform, entertain and be with listeners as we together try to make sense of the big and the small issues in life.”
Line-up changes and past reactions
The move adds one woman to the ABC’s all-male line-up from Breakfast through to Drive in 2026, after Chris Bath was replaced with a male presenter, Thomas Oriti. At the time of her axing, then Media Watch host Paul Barry said on X: “I can’t believe this. I’m hearing that #ABC has dumped Sarah MacDonald from ABC Sydney. IMHO she’s brilliant, one of the best things on radio. WTAF?”
Outgoing drive presenter Richard Glover expressed the shock ABC staff felt on his show: “The news today that the management here had decided not to renew [Sarah’s] contract has left our little family here, well, shell-shocked is the only word really. We were all just so taken aback, shocked, surprised, amazed, aghast, you know, choose any word you like, really.”
