i believe Thursday but not 100% sure
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Yes, Thursday.
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Neil Mitchell interviewing Peter Hitchener on 3AW radio now, it was all stockstandard stuff, rather short and at a random time of the program if Iâm honest. Mitchell of course also finishing up. Big couple of days ahead in Melbourne media.
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Do we know whoâll be the weeknight presenter over summer in Melbourne yet?
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Tony Jones first, then probably the likes of Dougal.
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You can bet it wonât be Alicia and certainly Tom, as theyâd want to save them for their launch night after the tennis come survey next Feb surely? And does Hitchener get a break for a couple of months too or start weekends straight away? My guess would be somebody like Tony Jones for Mon-Fri and Dougal Beatty for weekends over summer non-survey. What about Clint Stanaway (although Weekend Today), Heidi Murphy, Steph Anderson or even Jo Hall? Thereâs deifnitely going to be big holes at GTV-9 however and youâd think HSV-7 ripe to take advantage with leads, wonder when (if) Peter Mitchell will take a break? They could be smart and try to keep him on air as much as possible or in Jan in the lead-up to Alicia and Tom to try and spoil things as much as possible. But yeah in Melbourne especially the Australian Open will have huge promo power for Nine.
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Wasnât it already announced they are starting Jan 14? (Australian Open Day 1)
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what does she do these days anyway? like does she report? has she actually been back anchoring in Melbourne since she left weekends?
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Oh okay, well, also a good time, with the lead-ins (save for a weak match). I imagine theyâll still be running a promo campaign during the AO, would be foolish to just stop with promos once they start or if not in-program and activations during the coverage, at least during the Melbourne ad breaks with the regular Nine News promos voiced by the legendary Matthew OâSullivan.
Wonder when Nine will start rolling out the campaign, maybe from this weekend? Worst time of year though in terms of engagement/ eyes (December/Chrissy/NY), I think after the tennis wouldâve been better, but maybe before survey start and Married, they want to iron out any teething issues and be ready to pounce come Feb, if they build a good audience during the Aus Open.
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Maybe launch the campaign during Carols by Candlelight? Maybe even an appearance by Alicia and Tom during the night?
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No just the occasional report since the end of NNL.
Yes, thatâs what made me ask the question.
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Whilst Tony Jones could read weeknights over the summer as heâs still in town hosting AW Mornings, when was the last time he filled in as newsreader? I canât recall him presenting that often since he ruled himself out of replacing Hitch. IIRC, last summer Alicia filled in for Hitch for the majority of his leave.
So perhaps we might have Dougal reading weeknights and someone like Stephanie Anderson doing weekends? Then as confirmed, Alicia and Tom start Sunday January 14.
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Just saw a first teaser promo for the Aus Open, which said âJan 14â, so yeah looks like theyâll launch together (remembering the AO is starting a day earlier/extra day for the first time), also bringing Melbourne in-line again with Sydney (at least Nine) with the main anchor(s) being Sunday to Thursday and usually the highest rating TV days vs Friday and Saturday lower rating into weekend dominated by sport.
Wonder if Nine will (force?) a female co-anchor alongside Peter Overton in Sydney at some stage, although unlike Melbourne (Mike Amor and Rebecca Maddern) thereâs no dual presenters at the moment on weekends (which weâre thinking is what Nine were looking at with Alicia and Tom at GTV).
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Alicia and Tom are Monday to Friday. Theyâre only starting on the Sunday for one week.
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Melbourne is continuing with the Monday-Friday. They are only doing that leading Sunday.
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isnât it the same in Sydney, 9 solo weekdays and weekends, 7 solo weekdays duo weekends?
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I assumed Alicia was filling in over summer as normal, as she just came back from leave?
Except for the week or so over Christmas when Dougal and Steph usually jump in the chair.
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That seems a bit strange
When it is the night of the Australian Open launch, it is not strange but smart. Will be a lot of people on Nine.
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