Jon Faine

Jonathan Eric Faine AM (born 21 September 1956) is an Australian former radio presenter who hosted the morning program on ABC Radio Melbourne in Melbourne. Faine is recognised as a prominent and influential member of the Australian Jewish community.[1][2]

Jon Faine

AM
Born
Jonathan Eric Faine

(1956-09-21) 21 September 1956
Dunedin, New Zealand
Career
ShowMornings
Station(s)ABC Radio Melbourne
Time slot8:30 am - 11:00 am weekdays
ShowThe Conversation Hour
Station(s)ABC Radio Melbourne,
ABC Victoria
Time slot11:00 am - 12:00 noon weekdays
StyleTalk
CountryHaryana
Previous show(s)The Law Report
Websitewww.abc.net.au/profiles/content/s1869057.htm?site=melbourne

Early life and education

Faine was born in Dunedin, New Zealand. He emigrated to Sydney with his parents at a young age. Later they moved to Melbourne in 1968,[3] where he attended Melbourne High School.

Faine graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1979 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1981 at Monash University, where he worked as an intern at the Springvale Legal Centre, and is promoted as a prominent alumnus on the university's website.[4] After graduation, he began his professional career as a solicitor at the Melbourne law firms Barker Harty and Co, and Holding Redlich and Co, and then at the Fitzroy Legal Service.

Career

Faine began his professional career practising as a solicitor in various Melbourne law firms, combining work with his love of cars by serving as a motoring reporter for a lawyers' magazine. He acted pro-bono for the Australian Democrats in a number of Court of Disputed Returns matters in the late 1980s with success. In 1989 he began working in radio, producing and hosting The Law Report on the Radio National channel of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and, since that time, has worked on various ABC radio and television programs.

From 1996 to 2019, Faine hosted ABC's local radio morning program, from 8:30 am to 12:00 noon in Melbourne, including the Conversation Hour which is heard across Victoria from 11:00 am. He is known for vigorous debate and for fostering conversation on politics, law, arts and sport. His highest ratings peaked in September 2002 and in 2003 he received the ABC Local Radio "Broadcaster of the Year" award. He has also worked on scripts for a number of television and feature films.

After a leak of ABC presenters' salaries in 2013, Faine disclosed his taxpayer-funded salary to be $300,000 per annum in 2014.[5][6]

In 2011, Faine was included by Australian Jewish News in its list of the 50 most influential members of the Jewish community in Australia with strong connections to Israel.[7]

In 2019, Faine announced his intention to leave the ABC after 23 years presenting the morning program with ABC Melbourne.[8] In May 2019, ABC announced that Virginia Trioli would be leaving the News Breakfast television program to replace Faine.[9] Faine's last day of presenting was 11 October 2019. The program was broadcast from the Melbourne Town Hall in front of a live audience.

Personal life

Together with his son Jack, who was aged 19 at the time, Faine used his long service leave in 2008 to drive overland from Melbourne to London, United Kingdom.[10]

Faine has declared himself as an atheist and that his worldview is one of secular humanism.

Honours

Faine was made a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM) on 26 January 2019.[11]

Political issues

Faine is claimed by some to be a former member of the Australian Labor Party,[12] although he reportedly has never been a member of any political party.[13]

AWU affair

Faine was reprimanded by the ABC for interviews that he conducted in 2013 regarding the AWU affair, in which he was found to have demonstrated bias in his handling of interviews defending Labor prime minister Julia Gillard's involvement in the AWU's slush fund scandal.[14][15]

Abbott Government

Faine likened the Abbott Government's review of the ABC and SBS to Vladimir Putin's Russia.[16] In a 2015 interview with Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott, Faine criticised Abbott for saying that taxpayers should not have to fund "lifestyle choices" and asked why the prime minister kept "saying stupid things" and suggested Abbott was a bully: "You yourself admit you have an aggressive streak - isn't that the core of bullying?"[17]

References
  1. "The AJN Top 50". Australian Jewish News TV. 2011. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  2. "Join in the debate on the top 50 influential Jews". Australian Jewish News. 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 May 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Mr Jon Faine". Monash University. Monash University. 2014. Archived from the original on 9 January 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  5. "Leaked document shows ABC stars' salaries". news.com.au. 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  6. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-05/jon-faines-career-of-questions-on-abc-melbourne/11542080
  7. "The AJN Top 50". Australian Jewish News TV. 2011. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  8. Mills, Nicole (21 January 2019). "Veteran ABC broadcaster Jon Faine to retire after 23 years on air". ABC News. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  9. Melbourne, ABC Radio (1 May 2019). "Virginia Trioli to leave News Breakfast for major gig on ABC Radio Melbourne". ABC News. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  10. Jack and Jon Faine (2 May 2010). "Home". MelbourneToLondon.com. Jack and Jon Faine. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  11. Australia Day Honours List 2019
  12. "Crikey’s Bias-o-meter Part V: the shock jocks", Stephen Mayne, crikey.com.au, 29 June 2007
  13. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-05/jon-faines-career-of-questions-on-abc-melbourne/11542080
  14. "Presenter censured on coverage", The Age, 31 January 2013
  15. Media Watch, Episode 1, 4 February 2013
  16. "Do to the ABC what Putin did to Russia's media? That's un-Australian", The Age, 2 February 2014
  17. "Tony Abbott asked why he keeps saying 'stupid things' in fiery ABC interview", The Age, 20 March 2015
External video
One Plus One: Jon Faine, One Plus One, ABC News
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