Nova Network

It also depends if Sarah had gone onto a talent contract of was still just a full time employee like all the producers.

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Well, considering she has fronted three of her own shows and at least two podcasts, she is not on a Producer contract. I think it was made clear when she had joined the Fitzy and Wippa team in a different capacity.

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Maybe Sarah is moving to Kyle and Jackie to replace Producer Tom who is leaving. She was previously a producer for them I believe.

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Going back to being a producer after being on air talent is a major step backwards. I wouldn’t think she would choose to make that move.

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Sarah’s absence has been mentioned in the latest run of articles with speculation that her disappearance from the show is to do with Kate Ritchie joining the show.

If true the deal has probably been done, and an announcement is imminent.
You would assume she wouldn’t have been let go if this hadn’t happened.

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Probably the worst kept industry secret right now.

Let’s not forget it’s not Kate’s first go at Nova96.9 breakfast. She joined Merrick & Rosso from memory.

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If I remember correctly she was also on air with Merrick and Dools too. She left Nova when Fitzy & Wippa took over breakfast, then later coming back to drive as we all know.

The question is will she lift breakfast at Nova, I think they would be hoping to get up to an 8 share, at present they are averaging around a 6 share at best. They still have no hope of beating KJO.

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Didn’t Ricki Lee join Merrick and Dools? It’s like a roundabout between those two propping up other shows.

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Just before that show imploded. Nova better be hoping this isn’t history repeating. It’s very interesting that they had Kate Ritchie as a guest last year on Fitzy and Wippa and the conversation was quite long. I wonder if they were testing the chemistry that day.

They have also had both Merrick & Rosso as guests recently (separately, of course). Rosso still sounded bitter about when he left the show and made sarcastic comments about not feeling too comfortable with their show because management can step in anytime and ruin it.

Merrick also recalled the outrageous stunts and money they were wasting on the show with Dools. Management chastised him over and then the show was gone.

I wasn’t listening much after Rosso left. Dools was terrible and matching him up with Merrick was a dud. Not sure if Kate was still there for that.

Ricky Lee Coulter mentioned recently on the afternoon show that she did a year of Breakfast. I think it was Merrick, Dools and Ricky Lee. She said it really mucks up your sleep and your lifestyle so she wouldn’t want to go back to that.

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Actually I think you are right.

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Here’s the timeline from November 2007 to August 2011:

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Wow. Amazing to see the fall from grace which Nova96.9 was having.

Fitzy & Wippa have been their only stable program, and it’s scary to see they’re tinkering with the show dynamics if they add Kate to the lineup.

I too agree this could spell the end of Fitzy & Wippa - or to at least transition them out.

I’m predicting it’ll be Kate, ____ & ____ coming soon to Nova Sydney breakfast.

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I think we will need at least a year of the new line up first. Yes Fitzy and Wippa have been their stable show, but its been a very mid show IMO. The show hasnt been bad over the last few years. But it hasnt been stellar either

Perhaps Kate is what they need for a bit of a boost, to pick up a few percentage points

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The issue is, KTJ - the problem isn’t Kate, it’s Joel and paired with Ricki Lee it’s two screeching banshees. It’s very hard to listen to. They need a difference male voice, not to ditch Kate for a slot that’s even harder than drive

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I agree but the show has become stale, same mediocre segments each year, and Wrap Up Of The Week is well past it’s used by date.
You can see on the socials that there is not a lot of interaction with what they are posting up.

Fitzy & Wippa’s parody songs that they did in the past were very good, but that seems a thing of the past. It just seems the show has been running on autopilot for a couple of years now, It is lacking creativity, but that is Nova in general.

Hopefully with Kate joining the show it gets a refresh with brand new segments. I bet Kate’s Word game will probably get a run.

I think it is now make or break time for the show as it has been coasting in the 6’s for quite some time now. I think they will give it a year, maybe two, and if Ben & Liam don’t work in Melbourne, they will become the next Nova 96.9 Sydney Breakfast show IMO.

Nova could become the next 2day fm if they start having issues with their breakfast shows across the network. Their music is not strong enough to boost their workday figures if breakfast doesn’t fire.

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Well, it’s abundantly clear you don’t like Joel from your incessant posts bagging him. You’re sounding like a spurned lover. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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Use your ears mate.

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Well, that’s exactly what I use. :crazy_face:

Out of the three of them, it’s actually Tim who can be the most annoying. He constantly bullies and gaslights the others, always thinks he is right and never apologises when he is proven wrong.

Yes, which didn’t happen when Marty brought him down to earth. You have Joel just screeching and Ricki Lee screaming and him doing whatever he wants with the show. It sounds terrible. He needs a steady hand alongside him, Kate helps but they need a more considered comic.

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Yeah, it did. Except it was both Marty and Tim who would gang up to bully and gaslight Kate. It’s quite well known that every female co-host who worked with Marty eventually felt the same way: Fifi, Meshel and Kate.