Its been widely predicted for months, but Sky News has now confirmed controversial columnist Andrew Bolt will move his program The Bolt Report to the pay-tv news channel from this May.
The show will expand to a live one-hour nightly format at 7pm, with Bolt marketing it as an alternative to ABC News/7:30 programs.
The program was axed from Network Ten at the end of 2015 after News Corp made the decision to no longer fund the show. The new version will be produced by Sky News.
The new program will be more reliant on guests to fill the extra time, Bolt telling News Limited he finds it a challenge to find people willing to appear on air with him,
“The worst thing of any of the jobs I’ve got, whether it’s the newspaper, radio or TV, is trying to get guests on,” he said. “You go from being fearless to supplicant! The big question is, will Malcolm Turnbull come on?”
Bolt will continue his nightly appearances on Steve Price’s radio show, a specially built radio studio has added to Sky’s Melbourne studio to allow Bolt to produce both programs from the one building.
The changed line up will see The Latest with Laura Jayes move to the new timeslot of Monday – Friday at 6pm.
Reporting LIVE will go on hiatus while Stan Grant is on extended leave. He continues in his role as International Editor with SKY NEWS.
Sky News has been heavily investing in a number of new programs and studio/HD upgrades in 2016 ahead of the Federal Election. Currently the channel is joint owned by Seven, Nine and SkyUK, however the channel is under a takeover threat with NewsCorp keen to invest in video news.
It has been reported that Former prime ministerial chief of staff Peta Credlin is also considering an offer to join SKY’s federal election coverage.
