MELBOURNE Racing Radio station Sport 927 has sacked morning host Steve Moran only weeks after his controversial run-in with a couple of key identities in the Victorian racing industry.

Moran had a heated debate with TABCORP boss, Robert Nason, when he went into bet for the punters then fell foul of leading owner, Lloyd Williams, when he made comments that saw the stable impose a media ban on TVN on Sandown Classic day.

Only a week out from Christmas, Moran and Angela Pippos, the co-breakfast show host, have both been shown the day. The sackings have shocked the station’s large listening audience with both extremely popular personalities.

Sport 927 program director, Steve Cairns, told Patrick Bartley of the Melbourne Age that the changes were in keeping with the station’s policy of improving the network in an ever-changing media landscape.

“'Both are fine people - excellent people for this station. But we are having a change of direction here at 927 and both were not going to fit that change,” Cairns said.

“Steve (Moran) has worked for us for a long time in different roles and has had the morning show for just on four years but we must change to hopefully stay at the front of a rapidly changing environment.'”

Moran will continue his roles as Editor of the popular racing publication Best Bets and is also a presenter on TVN.

Cairns said that Pippos' replacement would be announced by station manager Noel Crowe later next week, but the successor to Moran’s role will not be revealed until late February or early March.

The Age says Channel Nine commentator Tony Jones is the favorite for the new breakfast role while Andrew Bensley and Shane Anderson are the front-runners for Moran's position.