Scott Masters still remembers October 8, 2015 vividly. Just as he felt he was nearing the pinnacle of his radio career, co-hosting Canberra’s Number 1 Breakfast program on FM 104, he was confronted by his boss and told he was no longer required. But times have changed, reports ROD HENSHAW.

SCOTT Masters still scratches his head about the day his world fell apart, wondering how the hell that happened. And he still doesn’t know the answer. Radio can be as fickle as it can be brutal at times.

But that was seven years ago and Scott (or Scotty, as he’s affectionately known) this week starts a new venture on Canberra radio, partnering with Paul (Holmsey) Holmes on the Forever Classic 2CA 1053 breakfast show. And he’s raring to go!

However, the decision to return to radio wasn’t easy.

Since his last gig seven years ago, he’s established two businesses under the umbrella of Scott Masters Media, which encompasses his commercial voice-over work, Smoke Masters BBQ and he handles the digital advertising for a number of clients and charities.

Initially, Scotty had doubts whether he could wind back or juggle those activities with the significant demands of breakfast radio.

“They contacted me back in October and asked the question. I thought about it for a week or two and did a list of pros and cons.

“I think it lit a bit of a fire in me and I figured I still had something to offer. So we agreed to a deal and here we go.

“I think seven years away from the game has given me a hunger to go back.”

It’s not the first time Paul and Scott have worked together. In 1998, Paul was teamed with Wendy Harmer and Peter Moon on the then top-rating 2DAY FM in Sydney. Scott applied for a job as the program’s audio producer. He remembers being cautioned about working with Holmsey.

“They said if you get on the wrong side of Paul, you’re in trouble,” he says.

“But for all the time we worked together, never once did I have an issue with him.”

Paul also remembers those days: “We looked him over to see if he’d fit in. During the interview someone asked him: ‘What would you do if we handed you $10,000?’”

“He said: ‘I’d probably go out and buy a Harley Davidson’. We all said: ‘Yep, he’s our man’.”

So what can Canberra radio listeners expect from these two? While Paul and Scott are extensively experienced in their craft, their respective personalities are anything but similar. In a prime-time airshift that can be a good thing.

Scotty has some clear ideas on how he wants to contribute and much of it stems from his own unpalatable experiences of the past and the initial difficulties he had coming to terms with being top of the heap one day and out on your backside the next. A lot of his time since has been spent reaching out to others who fall into the same abyss for whatever reason.

“I’ve been reworking some of the old segments I did back in the day and things like that.

“But also I think (I like) the chance to go back and be able to do things for the community and shine a light on people who need help. With the platform you have when you’re co-hosting a breakfast radio show – that’ll be quite exciting.”

When asked the same question about how the two would work together, Holmsey’s response was characteristically laconic: “Scotty can do all the work and I’ll sit back and press the buttons.

“Seriously though, I can prepare the stage and make things happen and between the two of us, we’ll have a lot of fun. And hopefully the audience can share in that.”

Both agree there’ll be a settling in period, which is inevitable in this game. For Scotty, the fact that he and Paul are mates and they’ve worked together in the past is a huge advantage.

“I think the overarching thing is to be entertaining and if some people find that funny, great. Some people won’t because humour is subjective,” says Scotty.

“Entertaining, community-based and if we need to get serious, we will.”

You can’t help thinking for Scotty, it’s unfinished business. And what better motivation can you have?

Holmsey and Scotty can be heard on 1053 2CA weekdays, 5.30am-9am.