Mike Munro to switch Sunday Night hosting for reporting
Mike Munro will end his co-hosting role on Sunday Night but remain as a reporter, while Seven rests the show again from this weekend.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
Mike Munro will end his co-hosting role on Sunday Night this weekend, but remain with the show as a reporter.
Chris Bath will be the sole host of the public affairs show when it resumes later this year.
Seven has also confirmed it will end its current block this weekend, fuelling speculation that Dancing with the Stars will return on May 8th.
The change comes at the request of Munro, who began with the show in 2009.
In a statement today, Munro said, “Anyone who knows me professionally also knows that I have always preferred being on the road in Australia reporting rather than being tied to a studio. When Sunday Night invited me on board as co-host, the contract said it was for just one year. I’ve done more than twice that and feel it’s time to be a fulltime reporter once again.”
Last year Seven’s head of News and Current Affairs Peter Meakin denied media speculation of a rift between Munro and Bath.
At the time Munro also didn’t deny he was a tough taskmaster on producers, adding: “My priority is being out on the road – being in the studio made up like a dizzy bloody blonde is not my way of reporting.”
Today Bath added, “This has been a big decision for Mike, and I respect the fact it’s tough being tethered to a studio once a week when you’re working on stories too. Now he’s free to do what he does so very well, to tell the best stories possible on Sunday Night.”
In a 2010 MediaWeek podcast, Meakin had signalled the show would be fulltime in 2011.
Share
- Tagged with Dancing with the Stars, Sunday Night
12 Responses
Doesn’t need two hosts at all. As someone said below, it could get by without a host altogether. It’s a bit like Tom Williams and Jo Griggs presenting Escape to the Country etc. on 7two.
I haven’t watched all of every episode lately, but are they still doing studio interviews?
Would like to see Mike get his own talk show. I don’t think 7 has had a good talk show in prime time for ages, he would be a good candidate.
Courtesy of @mrpford
one of the two hosts of SN was away recently, remaining one said very loudly ‘great to have a c # #t free week’ …lot of love on that set
@Ryan: Seven has to pause Sunday Night mainly due to its AFL commitments especially in Adelaide. Assuming DWTS returns on May 8 and finishes on July 17 (11 episodes), there are four weeks during the period that there is an AFL match that will be shown in Adelaide from 4.30pm to 7.30pm local time, pushing back the rest of Sunday line-up by one hour. Has Sunday Night continued, it means DWTS will start at 8.30pm. How many viewers will stay around till around 10pm to watch new episodes of Bones and Castle?
The inside word is that the two detest each other. Did one give an ultimatum of ‘either they go or I go’? May not be far from the truth.
Meh that kind of show doesn’t need 2 hosts, come to think of it, it doesn’t even need 1 host.
60 minutes gets away without needing anyone doing hosting duties, perhaps Sunday Night could just do a Chris and Mike mailbag segment at the end
Their only priority is Ratings.
Good riddance! He leaked arrogance to the end. Chris Bath was the clear leader there… brains And beauty, what a winning combination for Seven. Out to pasture Mike, and helllooooooo Chris. I love Sunday Night, it’s fantastic television.
That’s good, more Mike stories.
I hear Adam Boland was promised Munro’s job…
I don’t get why Seven can’t continue to run Sunday Night while Dancing with the Stars is on. I understand the need to air Dancing at 6:30 out of the news (to avoid starting off directly against Masterchef), but why couldn’t Sunday Night air at 8:30 during the Dancing season? It just seems to dampen the credibility of the news brand to have the series take a break for a Dancing reality show. Gives the impression that Seven’s priority is not news.