Ron E Sparks
Encyclopedia
Ron E Sparks is a well-known Australian radio personality and voice talent. Born and raised in Brisbane
, Sparks now lives in the north Sydney
suburb of Cammeray with his wife and 2 sons.
As with the name of American president Harry S Truman
, the "E" in "Ron E Sparks" does not stand for anything, and thus adding a dot after it to indicate abbreviation is arguably incorrect. It was originally added by a program director who thought that "Ronnie Sparks" sounded too immature, and wanted Sparks to transition gradually to using just "Ron" (which he has resisted doing.)
, and quickly became one of Sydney's most respected announcers. He interviewed many stars of the day.
After leaving 2SM
Sparks became program director of another Sydney AM station 2UW. After leaving 2UW he worked on top rating FM station Triple M
for many years before being lured to rival station 2Day FM
.
Sparks has also made a name as a television voice artist, and has provided voice overs for several Australian television shows, such as Wheel of Fortune and Hot Streak
. On the first day of October 1978, he hosted a special Rocktober edition of ABC-TV's "Countdown", which can still be seen on "Rage" each Saturday night in January.
grew more corporatised, and entered into the duopoly
arrangement with Triple M
, Sparks grew increasingly frustrated with group politics and had a hard time dealing with the huge egos of young network 'upstarts' who were given endless rope to play with. For some young 'stars' it seemed that they could do no wrong, and management always made excuses for them.
One particular gripe he had was with the night team (Kyle and Jackie O) smoking in the studio. This had been going on for some time, and despite it being illegal (2Day was in a high rise building, and smoking in the workplace is against Australian law), the general manager
failed to take any action. One morning in 2001, Sparks arrived for his morning shift to find the studio smelling of stale smoke, and littered with used butts, some of which were floating in glasses of water. He cracked, and took a marker pen and wrote "No Fucking Smoking" on every physical object he could find in the studio.
Unfortunately he had used permanent marker
, which destroyed several hundred dollars worth of equipment, and he was sacked immediately following his shift that day. He refused media interviews, even though the large majority agreed with him and applauded his actions. He toyed with the idea of legal action against 2Day but decided against it, in the interest of saving his career.
He was only out of work for a day or two before being wooed by rival FM station 2WS
. He is currently with 2WS (now WSFM) and presents the morning (9am-1pm) shift.
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Sparks now lives in the north Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
suburb of Cammeray with his wife and 2 sons.
As with the name of American president Harry S Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
, the "E" in "Ron E Sparks" does not stand for anything, and thus adding a dot after it to indicate abbreviation is arguably incorrect. It was originally added by a program director who thought that "Ronnie Sparks" sounded too immature, and wanted Sparks to transition gradually to using just "Ron" (which he has resisted doing.)
Early career
Sparks worked in several regional radio stations as a young man. Moving to Sydney in the 1970s, he managed to score a role on air at the then top rating AM station 2SM2SM
2SM is an Australian radio station, licensed to and serving Sydney, New South Wales, broadcasting on 1269 kilohertz on the AM band. It is owned and operated by Broadcast Operations Group...
, and quickly became one of Sydney's most respected announcers. He interviewed many stars of the day.
After leaving 2SM
2SM
2SM is an Australian radio station, licensed to and serving Sydney, New South Wales, broadcasting on 1269 kilohertz on the AM band. It is owned and operated by Broadcast Operations Group...
Sparks became program director of another Sydney AM station 2UW. After leaving 2UW he worked on top rating FM station Triple M
Triple M
The Triple M Network is an active rock radio network in Australia owned by media company Austereo, who also own the Today Network.- History :...
for many years before being lured to rival station 2Day FM
2Day FM
Not to be mixed up with Today FM in Ireland.2Day FM is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting in Sydney, Australia, on a frequency of 104.1 MHz, and part of Austereo's Today Network.- Transmission :...
.
Sparks has also made a name as a television voice artist, and has provided voice overs for several Australian television shows, such as Wheel of Fortune and Hot Streak
Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak
Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak is an American television game show that aired on ABC from January 6 to April 4, 1986. British television personality Bruce Forsyth hosted the series, the only time he hosted a series outside of his native United Kingdom...
. On the first day of October 1978, he hosted a special Rocktober edition of ABC-TV's "Countdown", which can still be seen on "Rage" each Saturday night in January.
Departure from 2Day FM
As 2Day FM2Day FM
Not to be mixed up with Today FM in Ireland.2Day FM is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting in Sydney, Australia, on a frequency of 104.1 MHz, and part of Austereo's Today Network.- Transmission :...
grew more corporatised, and entered into the duopoly
Duopoly
A true duopoly is a specific type of oligopoly where only two producers exist in one market. In reality, this definition is generally used where only two firms have dominant control over a market...
arrangement with Triple M
Triple M
The Triple M Network is an active rock radio network in Australia owned by media company Austereo, who also own the Today Network.- History :...
, Sparks grew increasingly frustrated with group politics and had a hard time dealing with the huge egos of young network 'upstarts' who were given endless rope to play with. For some young 'stars' it seemed that they could do no wrong, and management always made excuses for them.
One particular gripe he had was with the night team (Kyle and Jackie O) smoking in the studio. This had been going on for some time, and despite it being illegal (2Day was in a high rise building, and smoking in the workplace is against Australian law), the general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
failed to take any action. One morning in 2001, Sparks arrived for his morning shift to find the studio smelling of stale smoke, and littered with used butts, some of which were floating in glasses of water. He cracked, and took a marker pen and wrote "No Fucking Smoking" on every physical object he could find in the studio.
Unfortunately he had used permanent marker
Permanent marker
A permanent marker is a type of marker pen that is used to create permanent writing on an object. Generally the liquid is water resistant, contains a solvent such as xylene, toluene, or alcohol and is capable of writing on a variety of surfaces from paper to metal to stone...
, which destroyed several hundred dollars worth of equipment, and he was sacked immediately following his shift that day. He refused media interviews, even though the large majority agreed with him and applauded his actions. He toyed with the idea of legal action against 2Day but decided against it, in the interest of saving his career.
He was only out of work for a day or two before being wooed by rival FM station 2WS
2WS
101.7 WSFM is a FM band radio station broadcasting in Sydney, Australia. Its main content is commercial music, in particular classic hits from the 1960s to the Early 2000s, with a greater focus on the 70's, 80's and 90's...
. He is currently with 2WS (now WSFM) and presents the morning (9am-1pm) shift.