Hughesy & Kate, Carrie & Tommy to replace Hit’s Hamish & Andy in extended drive time show
Southern Cross Austereo’s Hit Network has finally announced its replacements for long-standing drivetime hosts Hamish & Andy, with Dave ‘Hughesy’ Hughes & Kate Langbroek, and 3pm pick-up hosts Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little to work together in an extended drivetime offering.
The new extended drive time format will see Bickmore & Little’s show run from 3pm-4:30pm while Hughes & Langbroek will run drive from 4:30pm to 6:30pm.
Hughesy & Kate will leave ARN at the end of the year
Hughes and Langbroek worked with Kiis for almost three years, however did not renew their contract.
Last week, Gemma Fordham, Hit Network’s head of content said of the incoming lineup: “I’m confident that Fox will overall average out at being number one majority of the year. I am very confident that the lineup we have for next year will continue to have dominance.”
Today she said she was delighted radio’s “most enduring and hilarious duets” would be joining Drive across Hit’s 43 radio stations.
“The commute home is when we let go, relax and leave the work day behind and the Hit Network is committed to entertaining all people on their way, whether it is at 3pm, 5pm or 6pm. To be able to also confirm Carrie and Tommy, a show which just gets better and better, really does give the Hit Network and its audience the best of both worlds in 2018,” Fordham said.
In the most recent set of ratings, Hughes and Langbroek topped the timeslot in Sydney with a 9.8% audience share. In Melbourne the show was up 0.4 ratings points to 7.2% and in Perth the show climbed to 8.7%.
However in Brisbane and Adelaide, the show fell 0.8 points and 1.9 points to shares of 10.5% and 11.9% respectively.
Grant Blackley, CEO of Southern Cross Austereo added: “I’m absolutely thrilled to welcome Hughesy and Kate to the SCA family. Both are consummate professionals and wonderful entertainers and will be a great addition to the Hit Network’s already strong national Drive line-up with Carrie and Tommy”.
