SKY media release: Sky Sports Radio has announced a series of exciting changes and new faces for its line-up in 2010.

Sky Sports Radio’s new schedule includes enhancements to the racing stable with the expansion of racing coverage due later this month, while its sports team will be laden with premiership talent.

“2010 is massive for Sky Sports Radio. We’ll have more races, improved coverage and the biggest names to ensure our focus on racing and sports is number one for fans,” said Sky Sports Radio Chief Operating Officer Brendan Parnell.

The changes to Sky Sports Radio’s programming are:

•Racing HQ will air 9-10am (Tuesday to Friday) leading the racing news and setting the agenda in racing information and entertainment. The first edition of Racing HQ, to be hosted by Andrew Bensley, will air on Tuesday 30 March.
•The popular Punters Post Mortem program (Mondays 9-10am) will have a new host from Monday 29 March with Terry Kennedy joining experts Ron Dufficy and Deane Lester (current Raceday presenter Greg Radley will move to Sky Racing as a television host on the expanded Sky Racing television channels).
•Sports Sunday will become the year round fixture of sports and racing from 7am each week. Jimmy Smith will host the upgraded program which will now feature racing, sports, news and talkback. There will be a dedicated racing segment from 7:30-8am with Daily Telegraph Racing Editor Ray Thomas, while during the NRL season there will be a rugby league focus from 8-10am with Peter Peters and Greg Hartley. Tommy from Campbelltown will also be a regular fixture. The new Sports Sunday kicks off from this Sunday 14 March.
•To cater for the expanded coverage of international racing, the National Racing Service will commence weekdays at 10am from Monday 29 March and be extended from 9pm to midnight on Sunday and Monday nights from 4 April. As a result, Football Fever will no longer be part of the Sky Sports Radio line-up.
In January, Racing HQ host Andrew Bensley celebrated 30 years in the media starting with radio in the western Queensland outpost of Charleville.

The respected racing news hound promises a fast moving hour of latest news, views and previews on Racing HQ.

“All of the key players – owners, trainers, jockeys and administrators – will tell it first on Sky Sports Radio,” Bensley said.

Greg Radley has viewed his switch from Sky Sports Radio to the expanded Sky Racing channels as “changing gait”.

“Having been ensconced in radio since 1989, it is a whole new challenge to be part of this exciting concept of expanded and innovative race telecasting,” Radley said.

“I am ready and raring to go.”

Jimmy Smith’s graduation from a decade long top grade rugby league career to the media takes another sizeable step when he hosts Sports Sunday.

Jimmy’s career included stints with the Roosters, Magpies and Rabbitohs and he has since made the transition to radio and television.

“I am really looking forward to working with experts in their specific sports field,” Smith said.

“It will be particularly interesting covering thoroughbred racing with Ray Thomas, who is so well respected.”

Sky Sports Radio today also confirmed its premier line-up of guest experts for the Big Sports Breakfast in 2010.

“Sky Sports Radio is continuing to give its audience the biggest and best names, presenting the biggest and best news in sport and racing,” Mr Parnell said.

Members of the premiership winning line-up join hosts Michael Slater and Terry Kennedy on the Big Sports Breakfast to offer the views that matter on sport.

New regular guests include Wallaby great Mark Ella, Australian hooker Cameron Smith and former Sydney Swan Jared Crouch.

The complete Big Sports Breakfast premiership winning team of guests for 2010 is:

CRICKET: Stuart Clarke, Geoff Lawson, Simon O’Donnell, Mike Coward, Brad Haddin

RUGBY LEAGUE: Gary Freeman, Paul Vautin, Brad Walter, Josh Massoud, Cameron Smith, David Middleton

TENNIS: Rodger Rasheed

RUGBY UNION: Mark Ella

AFL: Jared Crouch

GOLF: Brett Ogle, Paul Gow

CYCLING: Mike Tomalaris

FOOTBALL (SOCCER): Andy Paschalidis, Mark Schwarzer

MOTOR SPORT: Greg Rust, Cameron McConville

USA SPORT: Dick Fain

BOXING: Dan Rafael, Mat Brooks

RACING: Rod Gallegos, Richard Freedman, Andrew Le Jeune, Greg Radley

BASKETBALL: Steve Carfino

TAB SPORTSBET: Glenn Munsie

While racing is the backbone of Sky Sports Radio, the station provides its audience with a variety of niche sporting programs with associated sports betting information.

The flagship of these programs is the Big Sports Breakfast with Terry Kennedy and Michael Slater.

The program goes to air each weekday morning from 5:30-9am and is the state's only all sports breakfast show.

In addition to its Sydney footprint, Sky Sports Radio has more than 104 narrowcast transmitters around NSW ensuring a total statewide coverage.

Sky Sports Radio has been broadcasting the very best of thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing to its state-wide audience for over 34 of its 84 year history.

Each week more than 1500 races are now broadcast live, as well as the corresponding prerace and post race form and TAB betting information.

This unique blend of high calibre racing and general sports coverage broadcast statewide has made Sky Sports Radio one of the leaders in sporting coverage in NSW.