IT’S barely been a month since he took on the role as 2CC’s new drive host, but it didn’t take long for Luke Bona to work out what gets Canberra listeners riled up: parking and tailgating.

“I’ve never in my life seen a sign on the side of the road that says ‘don’t tailgate’, and there’s one in Canberra,” Bona laughs.

“Everyone’s in a hurry here. If you’re going even a fraction below the speed limit, these drivers will let you know.”

The effervescent radio host, formerly based in Sydney, has slipped neatly into his new gig as host of 2CC’s drive program, replacing long-time host Mike Welsh.

“So far, the response from the Canberra audience has been overwhelming,” Bona says.

“The phones have gone off the richter scale, the warmth I’ve had from the people in the ACT has just been wonderful. They’ve welcomed me with open arms and I appreciate that. And I admit I’ll get things wrong while I’m new to this city – I’m still working on the names, the pronunciations of words like Manuka.”

Born in Sydney to an indigenous mother, Bona was adopted as a baby.

Initially setting out to be a musician before realising he was “no good”, he discovered his talent for radio when, at 17, he picked up a shift as the “office boy” at Sydney station 2GB in 1978.

“As soon as I walked into the station I loved it, because 2GB was an entertainment station, there were lots of personalities, lots of excitement and presenters talking about the topics of the day – that interested me,” Bona says.

“What I loved about it was talking about the news of the day, because it was different every day. And you never knew what news story was on the end of a phone line.”

Bona quickly went from the wide-eyed newcomer to taking on gigs behind the mic, with stints in small country towns such as Young and Bathurst, before returning to Sydney to work for Macquarie Radio Network and later, 2UE.

Some of his most memorable interviews have been with high-profile personalities such as Gough Whitlam and Pamela Anderson, and he has won four radio industry awards, including two for best talk personality and two for the Brian White Memorial Awards for Journalistic Excellence.

He says his secret is to “always be yourself.”

“If you try and put on an act, the audience will work you out,” he says.

“My dad used to say, ‘son, the secret to success in radio is sincerity, the moment you fake that, you’re laughing’. What I say is how I feel, I very much wear my heart on my sleeve. That’s just the way I am.”

Being in the realm of a fast-changing media industry hasn’t escaped Bona, who says radio has “changed so much” since he first started.

“The same rules as far as broadcasting and connecting to an audience are still there, but the market has fragmented so much, now you’ve got to be really smart and move with the times and offer clients so much more,” he says.

In his new role, he’s looking forward to taking on the groundwork Mike Welsh left behind, including lobbying the local government on issues he and his listeners are passionate about.

“When you do make a difference, or when you solve a problem for someone, it’s a fantastic feeling, and that’s what I enjoy most about the job,” he says.