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Chris Bath joins Mike Munro

Popular news presenter Chris Bath wins the coveted co-hosting role on Sunday Night.

Chris Bath will co-host Sunday Night with Mike Munro on Seven.

Set to broadcast live each Sunday at 6:30pm, the new current affair show will ensure Bath has a national primetime vehicle, to capitalise on her success as Seven’s weekends news presenter in Sydney.

Bath wins the role ahead of the other hot contender, Natalie Barr.

“It’s been a while, so it’ll be nice to get back on the road. Great to do some longer form stuff, which I haven’t done for a while,” Bath told the Sunday Telegraph.

Mike Munro says commercial television has been lacking ‘true, fair dinkum, hardline investigations.’

“You can do the social issues, the star interviews, but commercial television hasn’t been doing enough investigations,” he told the Herald Sun.

“I miss being live. I miss meeting people. I miss the jigsaw of putting it all together.”

The show will be a mix of investigative reporting, high-profile interviews and what co-poducer Adam Boland calls ‘moment’ television. Early episodes will include a report on the ice drug epidemic and a feature on Coldplay. It will also include a live studio audience.

Munro, who has signed for one year, resigned from Nine in July but said he was contacted by Seven news boss Peter Meakin before he resigned.

“I resigned from Nine and wanted to give them three months’ notice deliberately,” he said.

“I wanted to do it cleanly and professionally, but Peter (Meakin) had called me – he is uncanny.

“He called me three days before I was about to resign from Nine to see what was happening.”

Late last year Seven dabbled with the timeslot when it produced several financial specials.

Sunday Night is expected to launch early February.

Source: Sunday Herald Sun, Sunday Telegraph

38 Responses

  1. OFFS – give Chris a go! She’s very capable and incredibly bright. Just don’t know if Aussie viewers will get her wit (highly pythonesque and pointed at best of times). She’s going thru a tough time too folks.

    Natalie Barr is a stick insect without about that much subtstance (sorry to wildlife). Mike Munro – gool ol’ robust codger – am hoping he will graciously fade to gray

    …think I am too late for this thread…. nite

  2. According To The Australian`s Buisness section, the Live Audience will be able to ask questions to the reporters who filed the story.

    Also, I`m hearing it will be filmed at Foxtel, According to MediaSPY

  3. gerard, exactly how did munro sabotage 9. he simply left because 9 gave no reason for him to stay and 7 had a big reason for him to swap.

    and whats to say sunday night will be any better or worse than 60 mins it hasn’t even aired yet. IMO its great that another commercial network is stepping up to good journalism especially with the state 60 mins has been reduced to.

  4. I am certainly not going to watch this rubbish! At what kind of a name is Sunday Night? Mike Munro sabotaged channel Nine!

    I’ll be sticking with 60 Minutes.

    And Julian, Channel Nine also have a fantastic line up this year. They’re doing so many promos as well on TV!

  5. Chris Bath is a great choice. She has proven in the past that she is more than a newsreader, she is a talented journalist. Natalie Barr does a great job on Sunrise reading the news, however, she becomes somewhat “flapped” when anything is unscripted and she needs to improvise.

  6. @Fred: What’s to say ppl aren’t thinking before they submit their comments already? Just because they have different opinions to you doesn’t mean they should readjust their thinking process just to please you.

    As for this news, I have much better things to do than watch current affairs on a weekend. But this will be great news for those ppl who enjoy watching this type of thing as there’ll finally be an alternative to what many agree is a faltering 60 minutes.

  7. I’m surprised at what is I guess an innovative decision (for investigative journalism, that is) to broadcast it live. Or it’s a gimmick. Still it will be interesting and some healthy competition for the networks (what with Negus at 8:30 on SBS also). I also think that this will grab solid ratings and put a dent in 60M, with likable hosts (in my view) and in being on an hour earlier than 60M.

    However, I don’t think this will be “the final nail in the coffin” for Nine, as one commenter put it. Nine has invested 30 years into 60 Minutes and so have many viewers. Seven will probably win in ’09, but the long-term (i.e. years) survival of SN is anyone’s guess at this point (“this point” being before it has even aired! LOL).

    And doesn’t the thought of “‘moment’ television” make you cringe just a bit? Mr. Boland, this has no place in what is set to be hard journalism! LOL

  8. “Say goodbye 9.. all you have left is Underbelly”

    Sunday Night with mike Munro and Chris Bath is going to smash the Nine Network for a six! Seven in 2009 has a killer lineup, especially in Sunday primetime: News @ 6pm, Sunday Night @ 6.30pm, Desperate Housewives @ 7.30, Grey’s Anatomy or Dancing with the Stars @ 8.30.

    Seven learnt many lessons from its previous public affairs venture ‘Witness’. Seven has planned is comeback and will implement strategic and deathly blows to what remains of the 9 network.

    This will be the final nail in the coffin for 9. Seven can and will dominate Sunday nights and it’s smart weapon is Sunday Night.

    2009 will once again belong to Seven. Enjoy.

  9. OMFG….I cant believe I have to spell this out to you Fred

    What I said, “stronger more **relatable** format”
    You @ 2.07pm “Stronger and **reliable**?”

    I wouldn’t have even bothered pointing this out, but your whole sarcastic approach to my posts suggests I don’t “think before hitting submit”….Once again, take some of your own advice…

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