Sunday was an Australian current affairs and arts program, broadcast nationally every Sunday morning on the Nine Network Australia. The program covered a range of topical issues including local and overseas news, politics, and in-depth stories on Australia and the world, plus film reviews, arts features, and music reviews. Its final bulletin was aired on Sunday, August 3, 2008.
History
The announcement of the launch of the private news program on October 22, 1981 inspired controversy, as it was then practice to fill the spot with religious programming.[1] The first episode aired on 15 November, with Jim Waley as host. In December 2002, Waley left to present Nine 6pm weeknight news, he was replaced by Jana Wendt. Following the decision to change Sunday's successful magazine format it was announced on 1 September 2006 that Jana Wendt would leave the Nine Network and Ross Greenwood and Ellen Fanning would become joint hosts of the show.
Following the appointment of John Westacott as the Nine Network`s New Head of News and Current Affairs, it was announced that from 16th September 2007 that Greenwood will leave the programme and would be replaced by current A Current Affair host Ray Martin joining Ellen Fanning as joint hosts of the show. Martin retired from ACA a few weeks later. When it marked a few weeks later, shortly before it returned with a brand new and very early timeslot of 7.30am, Martin left the Nine Network in February 2008, it is unclear who of or if anyone would be taking his seat.
Sunday was considered to be a programme made up predominately of Hard News storiescitation needed particularly when compared to the Today Show's weekend rival, Weekend Sunrisecitation needed which airs around the same time on the Seven Network and receives triple the ratings which was ultimately the reason for Sunday to be axed.
Until 2006, the programme was modelled after another Sunday morning programme with a similar format from the United States - CBS News Sunday Morning.
Brand Extension
After the initial success of Sunday, an edition was produced from 1986 called Business Sunday, hosted by Ali Moore. Business Sunday was committed to comprehensive coverage and quality reporting of business, economic and financial issues affecting Australia and the world. However, after 20 years of the program on Australian television, the Nine Network decided to merge Sunday and its offshoot and sister program Business Sunday from September 3, 2006.
Anchors
Alumni
A significant number of Australian journalists, media professionals, researchers and producers have been involved in "Sunday" since 1981. Among this alumni are reporter/presenters: Seven's Adrian Brown, former NSW premier Bob Carr, Ross Coulthart, actor Max Cullen, Sky News' Helen Dalley, Graham Davis, the late Robert Haupt, Laurie Oakes, CNN's Hugh Riminton, Paul Ransley, film reviewer/writer Peter Thompson and ex-National Nine News anchor Jim Waley. Producers, researchers and media professionals include: Peter Hiscock, Tom Krause, Nick Farrow, Kathryn Franco, Seven's news chief Peter Meakin, Paul Steindl, arts specialist Catherine Hunter, political/media adviser Sarah Turner and Stephen Rice.
Awards and Accolades
Sunday has won several awards, including Gold and Silver medals from the New York Festivals television awards in 2002, for its coverage of East Timor and investigation of cover-up claims regarding Governor-General, Peter Hollingworth.[2] In 2003, Sunday was awarded the "Most Outstanding Public Affairs Program on Australian Television" Logie Award.
Firsts
Under progressive Executive Producer Stephen Rice, "Sunday" achieved number of firsts including being the first Australian 'newscaff' program to launch its own website in 1997 and promote on-air URLs to viewers. Working with the online producer Kathryn Franco, anchor Jim Waley introduced many viewers to the web for the first time when he said "...And you can read a transcript of Laurie Oakes' Interview shortly after the show at www..." For the first year, the program produced encoded videos for the website of selected segments. Sister program "Business Sunday" and "Small Business Show" followed.
Cancellation
It was officially announced on Friday 25 July 2008 that the program would be axed from 3 August 2008, and will be replaced by Nine's Sunday Morning News, airing from 8am to 9am.[1]
Final Broadcast
The final Sunday, was aired on Sunday 3rd August, 2008 from 7:30am-9:30am AEST on the Nine network and regional affiliates, hosted by Ellen Fanning, who signed off from the network after the program's closure. It included the return of long-time host and founding anchor Jim Waley, former co-host and ex-Channel Nine host Ray Martin, current financial commentator Laurie Oaks, and appearances by former reporters Charles Wooley, Ross Greenwood (also a former co-host) and Jennifer Byrne (wife of ABC TV's Andrew Denton) . Peter Thompson also made an appearance, reflecting on past film reviews.[2]
A special "live crossover" between Channel 9 and pay TV news channel Sky News Australia occurred, with an interview with former reporter Helen Dalley, who now works at SKY.
The last political inteview was with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who in an interview with Laurie Oakes, expressed his regrets at the show's passing.
Before looking at the archived memories, the broadcast bought the final curtain with a farewell with love and very best wishes from Jim Waley and Ellen Fanning - thanking viewers for their support over the years, and also the emails, faxes and phone calls made to the Nine Network, in protest over Sunday's passing.
References
See also
External links
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