Nine insiders say Karl Stefanovic not in running for Ben Fordham’s 2GB Drive shift
Insiders at Nine have slapped down rumours Today show breakfast host Karl Stefanovic is set to take over Ben Fordham’s shift now the Drive host is moving to Alan Jones’ breakfast slot. So Annette Sharp asks: Who else is in the running?
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Now that Ben Fordham has been confirmed as the new breakfast show host at 2GB, the real battle has begun in earnest for Fordham’s drive slot, which he vacates in June.
Reports during the week that Karl Stefanovic was being considered for the slot formerly occupied by his long-time TV understudy Fordham have been firmly knocked on the head by insiders at Nine.
“There is no way that’s going to happen — it just is not in the realm of possibility at the moment unless the boss requires a last-minute Today show solution …” said one, drolly pointing out that’s how Deb Knight found herself hurriedly escorted into 2GB’s afternoon slot where, it should be said, she’s holding up just fine.
Another hot contender is said to be former 2UE breakfast host turned Channel 7 Sydney news boss Jason Morrison.
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Morrison proved himself a rather dab radio show host in the days before 2UE was transformed into sports station Macquarie Sports Radio, an exercise that proved a dismal failure commercially and marked the death of the once great news station.
Morrison, sources say, was sighted in the 2GB vicinity last week.
When the question was put to him last night, regarding his interest in the timeslot and whether he’d thrown his hat in for the gig he gave a blunt two word response: “I haven’t.”
It’s hard to imagine Nine offering the job to the news boss at a rival station and yet it seems the reports of Morrison’s sighting at the Pyrmont radio station are likely true.
Upon further investigation, it turns out his wife Heidi works at 2GB and he picks her up from work most nights.
Annette.sharp@news.com.au; @InSharpRelief
Originally published as Nine insiders say Karl Stefanovic not in running for Ben Fordham’s 2GB Drive shift