Nine is yet to announce its election coverage line-up but it appeared Stefanovic has been benched

Channel Nine appear to have snubbed Karl Stefanovic as part of their election night coverage. So, who will be up instead?

EXCLUSIVE

Will Nine’s highest paid man Karl Stefanovic get the tap to play a role in Nine’s federal election coverage?

On Thursday, with the election nine days away, Nine was yet to announce its election coverage line-up for May 3 but it appeared Stefanovic has been benched.

TV insiders claim that might have something to do with the broadcaster’s head of news Fiona Dear using Tuesday night’s debate between PM Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton as an opportunity, albeit a late one, to road test talent.

Karl Stefanovic at the Crown Sydney celebrates Vivid event. Picture: Supplied

Fresh from his Fiji Easter mini-break, Stefanovic didn’t get a start in Tuesday’s debate coverage.

Instead, his former Today co-host Allison Langdon, A Current Affair anchor, was tapped to moderate the debate in what appears a significant snub to “Karlos”.

Also rewarded with plum roles in Tuesday's coverage were Nine’s chief political editor Charles Croucher, newsreader and former radio presenter Deb Knight and the AFR’s Phil Coorey.

New favourite Allison Langdon

Newsreader Peter Overton

Some 48 hours later, on Thursday night, Nine slipped what looked to be a hastily thrown together promo for its election broadcast into its rugby league coverage.

The promo, or so claim those who caught it, suggests Langdon so impressed bosses on Tuesday night she will return as co-host of Nine’s election coverage alongside Sydney newsreader Peter Overton, host of Nine’s March budget special.

Insiders are of the view Nine’s delayed announcement is due to news execs failure to approach and lock in key political talent with sufficient lead time prior to the May 3 broadcast.

That might be why the promo brushed over the line-up of politicians Nine has secured for its coverage, possibly because they still hadn’t 100 per cent confirmed their availability on Thursday.

Nine news boss Fiona Dear

Expected to join Nine’s panel are Croucher, Today political reporter Liz Daniels and political reporter Andrew Probyn.

Having missed out on securing the coverage of the third Leaders debate to Nine, Seven (having perhaps wrongly expected Nine would to drop its election coverage promo during its Tuesday debate coverage) rushed it’s election coverage talent lineup into the market post-debate on Wednesday.

Seven’s coverage will be anchored by veteran newsman Michael Usher and Sunrise anchor Natalie Barr. it gets underway at 4pm on May 3.

Natalie Barr to anchor Seven’s coverage

...alongside Michael Usher. Photo: Getty

The network’s political editor Mark Riley will also play a key role with expert commentary provided by pollies including Bill Shorten, Tanya Plibersek, Jane Hume, Michaelia Cash, Clare O’Neil, Warren Mundine and Clive Palmer.

Bombshell rumour in Aussie game show war

Channel 7 has moved quickly to scotch rumours Larry Emdur’s role on The Chase is under review as the network is forced to act to arrest the program’s recent losses.

News.com.au was this week informed Emdur, one of the highest paid stars on Seven’s books, is to be replaced as host of the game show following the collapse of The Chase’s ratings to Nine’s rival program Tipping Point.

Tipping Point, hosted by Todd Woodbridge, has swiftly turned the tide for Nine in the 5pm ratings timeslot following its premiere in January 2024.

Within a matter of weeks, the program eroded Seven’s hold on the critical late afternoon time slot – critical because it leads into the 6pm evening news bulletin and all but guarantees the ratings success of the evening news that follows.

Nine’s Tipping Point currently has a 113,000 average lead over Seven’s The Chase (figure based on total people, five city metros, weeks 5 – 16, year-on-year), a result that is creating headaches for Seven bosses.

Todd Woodbridge host of Tipping Point

Ex The Chase host Andrew O'Keefe

Last week, Tipping Point attracted an average audience (five city metros, total people) of 504,000 across five days.

That figure is up 19 per cent on the same period last year.

By comparison Seven’s The Chase averaged just 355,000, down 6 per cent on the same period the previous year.

More worryingly, The Chase hasn’t won a whole week (five city metros) since February 2024.

The capitulation is one of the most pressing problems facing Seven programmers.

News.com.au asked Seven if this meant the network was looking to replace Emdur as host of The Chase or if the program format would be shaken up or revived.

On Thursday a network spokesman offered an upbeat:“The Chase doesn’t need reviving! It remains very competitive in its timeslot, delivering a big audience night in, night out.”

Then a slight pivot: “We are about to launch a new push for the show, offering the biggest cash prize in its history.”

The rep emphatically denied Emdur’s role was in any doubt.

“Larry will absolutely continue to host The Chase. To suggest otherwise is nonsense and deliberately misleading,” he said.

2024 Gold Logie winner. Photo: Getty

With Morning Show host Kylie Gillies

According to sources, should the versatile Emdur be dropped from The Chase the Gold Logie winner will retain his role as Kylie Gillies’ sidekick on weekday advertorial program The Morning Show.

Despite Seven’s public statement of support for The Chase and Emdur, Seven execs are, it’s claimed, at wit’s end over the ratings capitulation which has helped bolster Nine in the prestigious 6pm news hour.

Insiders say executives have “drawn lines” and are now engaged in a simmering conflict over who should bear responsibility for the ratings drop-off.

Is the network’s CEO of 12 months Jeff Howard, the man who oversaw the reshuffling of the executive ranks at the company in June 2024, responsible?

Or is it the network’s recently promoted chief content officer Brook Hall, or the newish director of unscripted content Majella Hay, or, possibly, the recently promoted group MD Seven Television Angus Ross, who was formerly chief content officer and previously had oversight of The Chase?

Seven West CEO Jeff Howard

Seven content boss Brook Hall

The only person who doesn’t seem to have been fingered for The Chase’s problems is Seven’s director or news and current affairs and editor in chief (etc etc etc) Anthony De Ceglie, the man who must face up to his contribution to Seven’s news woes and who last year introduced a series of feeble comedy and astrology segments to try and arrest the slide of Seven’s news ratings to Nine.

Seven West chair Kerry Stokes, meanwhile, must grow ever weary of the turmoil and of seeing Seven’s share price wallowing at 13c.

Laws’ former idyllic home up for grabs

The Yarramalong Valley rural retreat that was once home to radio legend John Laws and wife Caroline has returned to the market.

Called Cloud Valley Farm, the 14-bedroom, 11-bathroom property, set on 324 acres was sold by Laws in 2006 for an undisclosed sum.

Reports at the time said the radio commentator had sought $10 million for the lush farm that had been the couple’s retreat for over two decades.

John Laws & wife Caroline

At home on the land, John Laws

In the end he settled for around $6 million for the holding, which included three houses, the main house designed by one of Laws’s favourite architects, Espie Dods.

It subsequently changed hands again in 2009 for $5.7 million.

It’s current owners, Jackie and Tim Hughes, a former radio executive and broker, are now hoping to realise a price of between $25 and $30 million for the home which they’ve owned for 15 years.

The Hughes’ are rumoured to have fallen in love with the Yarramalong Valley while Tim was working for former television supremo Reg Grundy, who had a property nearby.

Retired Australia radio announcer's home as it is today

John Laws at his home of 20+ years, Cloud Valley, in the nineties

Described by agents as a “world class entertainer”, the farm features two guest residences along with equine facilities and provisions for livestock – however it was generous garage that stands as a lasting reminder of one of Laws’s greatest past times.

The automobile lover relished the 90 minute drive to Sydney in one of the cars from his large fleet of luxury vehicles, among them Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, Mercedes-Benzes and Jaguars.

The sight of the Golden Tonsils rolling through the foggy valley in a Bentley or Roller delighted the locals for years during star’s heyday at 2UE in the eighties and nineties.

Originally published as Nine is yet to announce its election coverage line-up but it appeared Stefanovic has been benched