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.”
