Fred Botica

Fred Botica (born 17 March 1947) is a radio announcer in Perth, Australia on Mix 94.5.

Botica was born in New Zealand, and began his radio career in December 1969 on Radio Hauraki,cite web
url= http://www.mix.com.au/perth/shows/thebunch/team/fred.html
title= Mix 94.5 - Fred Botica
accessdate= 2008-03-25
publisher= Austereo] to which he returned in 1973 after a couple of years working at Radio 1XX in Whakatane. In 1976, he again left Radio Hauraki to work at Melbourne's 3KZ, a stint that lasted only 6 months. Botica returning once again to Radio Hauraki as breakfast presenter and program director, where he remained (apart from a short sojourn at 1ZM) until late 1982. At this time, he started work at 89FM, the first commercial FM radio station in Auckland.

Botica immigrated to Perth from New Zealand in 1986, [cite news
first = Simon
last = Collins
title = From dot, dot, dot to dot com
work = The West Australian
publisher = West Australian Newspapers Ltd
date = 12 December 2001
accessdate = 2008-03-25
quote = Perth's No. 1 breakfast DJ Fred Botica of 94.5FM moved here from New Zealand in 1986. ] and started work with Channel 7 Perth as their voiceover artist, and with 96fm as a breakfast radio announcer. During his time at 96fm, he performed the Australia Day skyshow voiceovers. In 1993, 96fm was bought by Village Roadshow and was renamed "Triple M". Staff at the station opposed the changes which were to occur with this purchase; as a consequence, Botica along with his sidekick Captain Paul shifted to 94.5 during 1992.cite news
first = Pam
last = Casellas
title = Don't mention the ratings war: How Botica got his bunch
work = The West Australian
publisher = West Australian Newspapers Ltd
page = 12
date = 11 March 2006
accessdate = 2008-03-25 ]

Since then Botica led Mix 94.5's breakfast team to the highest rating in Perth with "Botica's Bunch", although in recent years the breakfast slot has been beaten on a few occasions by ABC 720's Eoin Cameron. Botica is reputed to command an annual salary of $250,000.

Botica is notoriously camera-shy, and in all publicity and advertising for his radio show, his face is always obscured.cite news
first = Luke
last = Morfesse
title = Face up to it, Fred, your hair's blown
work = The West Australian
publisher = West Australian Newspapers Ltd
page = 2
date = 16 March 2007
accessdate = 2008-03-25 ]

References