Music

Triple J Just Appointed A Music Director Who Isn’t 53 Years Old

Every band in Australia is sliding into Nick Findlay's DMs right about now.

by Jules LeFevre  19 April 2017

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Depending on what side you’re on, triple j’s Richard Kingsmill is either the nation’s leading tastemaker, or the man responsible for the End Of All Music As We Know It. There is no in between.

Since 2003, Kingsmill has been responsible for triple j’s daily music programming – but that’s about to change.

As reported in The Industry Observer, Kingsmill is moving up to coordinate the team of programmers in the wider ABC family – including Double J, triple j Unearthed, triple j, and ABC Local – meaning his old position of triple j Music Director will be handed over to his longtime assistant, Nick Findlay.

Findlay will be directly responsible for the day-to-day running of the station, while Kingsmill will be overseeing broader proceedings as Group Music Director. Longtime presenter Gemma Pike will take on Findlay’s old job of Assistant Music Director.

So what’s going to change? Not much, probably. Findlay has been with triple j for a decade and has worked closely with Kingsmill in that time, so an abrupt new direction in programming is unlikely. Kingsmill’s move is probably better viewed as a title change than a total shake-up.

Earlier this month we asked 10 local acts just how important is it for triple j to get behind your music.

“I‘ve seen artists go from being tiny to getting full features and their venues are huge by the end of the year,” Brendan Maclean told Music Junkee. “That’s one of the biggest things I’ve noticed – when people get on high rotation there, their live shows tick up really, really quickly.”

Some artists are less convinced. “It’s such a myth that triple j makes or breaks you,” former presenter Nina Las Vegas said. “People worry too much about getting on there. But if you’re not added [to rotation on triple j], it doesn’t mean you’ve failed.”

Regardless, you can bet that every band in Australia is sliding into Findlay’s DMs right about now.