A controversial radio host has snagged a high-profile breakfast gig, sparking backlash in the industry.
Craig ‘Lowie’ Low has been announced as the new host of Brisbane’s KIIS 97.3 breakfast show, replacing Robin Bailey, Kip Wightman, and Corey Oats after their shock sacking last week.
However, insiders have slammed the appointment with one insider telling the Courier Mail, the shock jock was a ‘poor man’s Kyle Sandilands’.
‘I feel so bad that the team is going to be replaced with someone like that,’ the source said. ‘It just makes me sick.’
The source also claimed that Low’s appointment had left the industry ‘gobsmacked’, adding that Low would just be a ‘seat-warmer’ for radio royalty Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, adding that the Sydney KIIS breakfast show would be nationalised within ‘three to six months’.
ARN’s chief audiences and content officer, Lauren Joyce, said in a statement that Low’s appointment was part of a reinvigoration at the network.
Craig ‘Lowie’ Low (pictured) has been announced as the new host of Brisbane’s KIIS 97.3 breakfast show, replacing Robin Bailey, Kip Wightman, and Corey Oats after their shock sacking last week
‘The new show, led by Lowie, will bring fresh energy, creativity and pace to mornings in Brisbane,’ she said.
‘It will be everything that KIIS stands for: fun, fearless and completely in tune with its audience.’
However, the insider added that the network was mistakenly targeting a younger demographic with Low’s appointment.
‘They are totally ignoring the over-40s women who are obsessed with that station,’ the insider said.
‘There are already enough radio stations that are covering the younger demographic, so who is going to be looking after the people in that demographic that want to listen to radio.’
Low began his radio career at just 15 years of age, working in audio production for Sea FM on the Gold Coast.
After a stint on the Hot30Countdown in 2006, Low moved to the US to work as a comedian and writer.
He has appeared on the likes of E! Network’s Kevin Hart’s Celebrity Game Face and MTV’s Ridiculousness Live.
Insiders have slammed the appointment, with one insider telling the Courier Mail the shock jock was a ‘poor man’s Kyle Sandilands’
‘I feel so bad that the team is going to be replaced with someone like that,’ the source said. ‘It just makes me sick’
Low’s appointment also comes with a certain amount of baggage, with former colleagues claiming he had been difficult to work with.
Maz Compton, who co-hosted the Hot30 countdown with Low back in 2006, told News Corp of her working relationship: ‘Interesting is a good word, toxic could be another.’
‘It all went to his head,’ she added.
‘He came into the building obsessed with Kyle Sandilands and was told that he was the next Kyle. It felt like he was kind of like this beast that couldn’t be tamed.’
Compton added that the pair have since mended fences and Low told the publication that he was regretful over his actions.
‘I can’t change who I was, no matter how much I would want to, but I can certainly control how I move through life now as a man, and I live with joy and I try to leave every room a little happier once I’ve left it,’ he said.
Low will replace Robin Bailey, Kip Wightman, and Corey Oats (pictured)
Speaking about the new gig in a statement, Low expressed his enthusiasm for taking the chair in 2026.
‘Growing up in Queensland, every boy dreams of two things – getting politely escorted out of The Normanby for ‘causing a scene,’ and blasting so much Dua Lipa on the radio someone calls a wellness check,’ he said. ‘Next year, I plan to achieve both on KIIS.
‘With 80% of the Sunshine State now stuck on the M1, we’re going to play more music, give away more cash, and keep the ads tighter than Reece Walsh’s mullet.’
He added: ‘Brisbane is the greatest city in Australia, and our new show promises to be the most okayest breakfast show you’ve ever heard — or your money back.’
