CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT

In an effort to keep up the ratings in the weekday evenings, the Nine Network have today announced plans to just flat out stop broadcasting the news.

They will instead put resources behind the already popular TV format of Andrew Johns and Paul Vautin talking absolute shit while Jonathan Thurston giggles – which will now be broadcast for two hours every night.

The new program ‘Great Minds’ with FATTY and Joey (and JT, and this other guy) will replace the afternoon news, nightly news and A Current Affair.

The show is to be based off the last 5-10 minutes of each panel commentary in the NRL, where Fatty and Joey have been given full reign to talk about whatever is on their mind with no structure whatsoever.

This programming decision has been likened to 2Day FM cancelling Grant Denyer, Ed Kavalee and Ash London’s radio show after last quarter’s ratings survey, opting to replace it with a rotation of Ed Sheeran music and ads.

However, questions remain about how the struggling Network will be able to generate revenue to justify the new show, considering that their evening news programmes is just already mostly just paid product placement.

Programing director Beau Ganwisperer, says this issue will be resolved by giving Joey and Fatty a series of brands to riff about, with a hope that most of their tangents will result in sexual or drug innuendo.