Ross Solly returns to ABC Radio Canberra, taking on the Drive shift

The radio station on Friday announced a series of on-air changes.

While all the other changes will take place from next year, Ross Solly has been moved into the Drive program from November 21.

The ABC confirmed Solly will broadcast from Canberra Monday to Thursday and do "regular" Friday shifts from studios in Sydney, where his family lives.

Current Drive presenter Anna Vidot will take on a news-reading role for the breakfast shift from next year.

Lish Fejer, the previous Mornings presenter, has been removed from a regular on-air role.

From next year, she will take up a new position "focusing on creating digital audio and video content for the ABC listen app and ABC Canberra's social platforms".

Adam Shirley will continue as Breakfast presenter in 2024.

Georgia Stynes will move from Afternoons to Mornings, replacing Fejer.

The biggest change is the return of Solly, well-known in the national capital as the host of the critical breakfast shift for nine years for then ABC 666 Radio.

He left Canberra in late 2013, as his wife Samantha Hawley pursued her career as a foreign correspondent for the ABC, first in Bangkok, then as the bureau chief in Jakarta and then London.

The couple and their two children returned to Australia last year, settling in Sydney, as Hawley hosted ABC News Daily, the ABC's flagship daily news podcast.

Solly did some fill-in shifts at ABC Radio Canberra last year.

Now, in 2024, he returns as a permanent host of the Drive program.

"I'm super excited to get this opportunity to be part of the ABC Canberra local radio community once again," he said.

"It's an enormous privilege to be part of our listeners' lives and I'm looking forward to reconnecting and sharing their stories."

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ABC Canberra editor Julie Doyle was excited to welcome Solly back.

"He has a wonderful community connection and is an accomplished broadcaster and interviewer who also has a great sense of fun," she said.

Another new voice will be part of the line-up. Alice Matthews is the new host of Afternoons. She is a former Sunday Brunch presenter and regular presenter of the Canberra 7pm TV news bulletin.

Emma Bickley will continue to present Saturday Breakfast with her gardening co-host Graham "Willow" Williams.

Current Drive presenter Anna Vidot will take up the breakfast radio news-reading role in 2024.

When asked if moving the highly-regarded Vidot into a news-reading role was a waste, Ms Doyle said:

"The breakfast newsreader is responsible for curating all the international, national and local stories for the Canberra radio news bulletins as well as presenting.

"The job requires an experienced journalist and presenter with exceptional editorial judgement who understands the Canberra audience. Anna is perfect for the role."

Julian Abbott will move into the afternoon newsreader role until his retirement in March.

Andrew Messenger, the current afternoon newsreader, is retiring in December after 23 years with ABC Canberra and a "long and distinguished career in radio and television".

"Andy Messenger's retirement from our news-reading ranks leaves a big hole," Ms Doyle said.

"But I'm really pleased to have a trusted voice in Anna Vidot who can move into the position of morning news reader. Anna will give Canberrans all the news they need to start their day."

Fejer, the previous Mornings presenter, takes up a new role focusing on creating digital audio and video content for the ABC listen app and ABC Canberra's social platforms. A potential new project includes a Canberra podcast.

Solly takes over the Drive presenting role from November 21 and the other line-up changes will start in January.