Nine axes Sunday and Lateline

25Jul08

Nine Press Release:

The Nine Network today announced the closure of the Sunday program from Sunday, August 3, to be replaced by a weekly one-hour News bulletin on Sundays at 8.00am.

Nine’s nightly late night news program, Nightline, will also wind up tonight, with the Network scheduling more newsbreaks through the evening to provide viewers with regular news updates.

The Network’s Director of News and Current Affairs, John Westacott, said the decision to close Sunday was difficult but inevitable.

“There is no joy or feeling of professional achievement to end programs
with such illustrious histories”, he said.

“During its 27 years on-air Sunday has been at the forefront of
ground-breaking and award-winning television; much envied for its
journalistic bravery and professional diligence.

“Its demise is very disappointing for all of us. But today’s realities
impose much tougher cost and performance benchmarks across the media
industry than those of the past, and sadly there is not sufficient
economic appeal for a loss-leader like Sunday, as good as it has been
for Nine and television journalism”, he said.

Mr Westacott said the new one-hour news program, Sunday Morning News,
would be a high-quality, up-to-the-minute bulletin featuring the latest
local and international stories, weekend sports results and and
finance, together with Laurie Oakes’ weekly landmark political
interviews.

Nine Network Chief Executive, Mr David Gyngell, said the Network was
working to absorb the great majority of Sunday staff into senior roles
in other news and current affairs programs.

Likewise, the small
Nightline unit would be appointed to key tasks in the new Sunday
morning news service and other relevant positions.

“I am genuinely saddened by the decision we have had to make, a
decision not taken lightly”, he said.

“This is all about concentrating and maximising our news resources to
achieve the best possible results. I salute the Sunday program and its
first-rate people, past and present, for the job they’ve done and the
very significant mark they have made. And I look forward to many of
them bringing that quality, passion and skill to other news
programming.”

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