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News boss denies 60 Minutes on chopping block

"There has never been a discussion between executives at Nine about axing 60 Minutes," says Darren Wick.

Nine News boss Darren Wick has responded angrily to a newspaper article which speculates over the future of 60 Minutes.

The Sunday Telegraph suggested budget cuts left Nine execs considering dumping the show in favour of A Current Affair as their go-to show in public affairs.

It comes just a week after a much-praised investigation into branch-stacking in the Victorian government.

Yesterday Wick emailed news staff to brand the story as “a total fantasy.”

“Let me put this on the record with my name attached to it as a genuine and verifiable source. There has never been a discussion between executives at Nine about axing 60 Minutes. That position has never been considered by myself, the CEO nor anyone else who matters. NEVER. EVER,” he wrote.

“It’s been part of our Sunday night ritual for four decades. It’s going to be on Nine a further four decades from now.

“The people who work on 60 Minutes are an extraordinary and wonderfully loyal family who take tremendous pride in the stories they produce and broadcast every week. Everyone at Nine is proud of our colleagues, the quality of their work and their passion for journalism.

“The story claiming our future is in doubt is misleading and wrong. We’re here to stay.”

8 Responses

  1. Rather than chop it, why not restore it as a serious news program? If it remains as Current Affairs’ big brother in tabloid, then be rid of it for sure.

  2. 60 Min has lost the reputation and fearless great stories of old imo. Back on Liz’s early days with Ray Martin. It is just missing something. It used to be a ‘must watch’.

    1. Just wish it was on at a regular time slot too, 7.30 Sunday’s used to be 60 minutes time but now could be 8.45, 9.10pm etc so forget its even on abundance drops off being a must watch.

      1. Yeah well back then we had Sunday Night at the Movies.

        We’ve all changed our viewing habits. Nobody wants to watch movies on Sundays anymore.

        1. I’m enjoying the Australian Movies on the ABC that have been on the past two Sunday Nights. The first movie doesn’t start till 9.25pm though so not a great number of people will be watching.

  3. yet their 9 regional news has been off air for months and must be hanging on by a thread. Stone cold silence to their staff in regional areas. What does their affiliate say about not having local news… will PRIME stick around… regional areas need regional news, but its something no TV network wants to provide, would love a story on that David, if any of them talk to you about it.

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