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EXCLUSIVE | Meet the new Executive Producer of WEEKEND TODAY – Matthew Russell

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There’s a new boss at WEEKEND TODAY and TV BLACKBOX sat down with him to find out about his plans for the Channel 9 breakfast show

TV Blackbox can reveal channel 9 has appointed a new Executive Producer for Weekend Today. I have worked with Matt Russell on-and-off over the years and he is one of the people I admire most in the TV industry.

Matt is as loyal as they come and he knows TV. It’s a great combination that will see him bring new life to weekend television.

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I sat down with him to find out what he plans for the show and what he thinks will be the most challenging aspects of the job.

Robert McKnight:

Congratulations on becoming the executive producer of Weekend Today. How did it all come about?

Matthew Russell:

Thank you, Rob. Kind of happened a couple months ago. I’ve been kind of pushing towards this for a while saying, “It’s kind of what I wanted to do.” At the end of the day, I wanted to EP a show and I really love the idea of Weekend Today because it’s got a mix of everything. As you know, I spent a lot of years on Today Extra, which is a lot very light. And all my years now on Today show, very newsy. And I think Weekend Today, it’s got that perfect balance between my two passions of having fun and serious news.

Robert McKnight:

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Tell me a bit about your career history because to a lot of outsiders, they don’t know you. Tell us about Matthew Russell.

Matthew Russell:

I actually had to go back and try to remember how I did all this. Because I’ve been in television now for 11 years and I was… Well, going back a little bit further than that, I’ve always wanted to work in television. I always knew I did. You ask my parents, I drove them nuts. Going to audiences, TV shows, going down to any TV thing I could possibly do. If I found out the local brekkie show, which was Sunrise in my local area, I went down and watched it. I went to school late that day. I’ve always loved it. So, I always knew what I wanted to do.

When I left school, I went to Charles Sturt University in Wagga, which is the same as you, and I started in television production. And then from there, part of that course is to do an internship. I was lucky enough I had got an internship with Channel Nine. And from there, I was lucky again and was offered a job in news exchange, which as you know is the hub of the newsroom. All the feeds come in and out. Then from there, I met you and you took me over to the news promo department when you taught me a lot. Spent there, I think it was two years there, I think I spent with you before we both moved over to Studio 10, where I think I was a vision producer, although it’s really hard to explain that role. I don’t know what it was. Bits and mix of promos, editing stuff for the show, and writing stuff with you.

And then after a little while, I knew I was one step closer to brekkie TV, which is always something I’ve always wanted to do. And then I was offered a job back at Channel Nine as the line producer for mornings, now Today Extra, where I spent many years there learning stuff. I dove straight into the deep end there. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I loved it. I learnt so much under David and Sonia. I’ve got so much time for them. They really taught me a lot.

And then from there, then about, I think coming up to five years now, I think, I moved over to Today show and I’ve kind of been there ever since, being a senior producer. And then after, I think about maybe about a year, I moved into this role called early supervising producer, where I’m there in the morning with myself and the managing editor, where we make all the decisions, picking the news stories, subbing the show, and just kind of setting the news agenda of the day and then putting the show to air, which I love being in that control room environment. Nothing excites me more than live television. And now all that training has led me to here. And then I’ve kind of been in the last couple of months, pushing towards hopefully one day running my own show. And then my boss, Burlo, has given me an opportunity and I cannot wait.

Robert McKnight:

It’s funny that when you left Channel Nine, they were not happy when you went to Studio 10 with me and it would be fair to say they chased you. They kept chasing you to come back. And obviously, that eventually proved too good an opportunity. It certainly was the right call and shows that they valued you.

Matthew Russell:

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I loved my time at Ten. I learned a lot with you and the team there, but I guess I felt at home at Nine and being back there, I knew that I just had to go home really. I know it sounds weird, but Channel Nine feels like home.

Robert McKnight:

So, Weekend Today, what are your plans for it? Will there be changes?

Matthew Russell:

Well, brekkie TV evolves all the time, as you know. No two days are the same. I’ve got big ideas, small ideas, but I really want to keep them for myself for now.

Robert McKnight:

No, you have to tell me. You owe me.

Matthew Russell:

To expand on that a little bit, but you won’t like this answer, but everyone’s lives is busier than ever, especially on a weekend. There’s kids’ sport, grocery shopping, visiting family and friends, and trying to tackle that seemingly never-ending to-do list. I guess my vision for Weekend Today is try and make that juggle just that little bit easier. But at its core, we are a news program. People wake up, they want to know what’s going on in their suburb, city, country, around the world. I think you actually wrote a similar promo on those lines, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun. And that’s one of the many reasons that I love breakfast television.

Robert McKnight:

Is 7:00 a good time for Weekend Today to start? Will the core of the show remain the same and it’ll be some content changes or do you see a complete revolution?

Matthew Russell:

I think at the end of the day, brekkie TV, it’s kind of people run their morning by certain things that happen. So, key elements of the show will remain the same, but there’s lots of, as you said, content things will change, the running order of the show, if you will, will move around and I’ll evolve it as I get more comfortable with the show and get to know it, because it is different to the weekday show, which I know. So, I can start reciting the rundown to you now if you want, but I just need to get my head around it a little bit more and then go from there.

Robert McKnight:

Then do you expect to make any on-air cast changes?

Matthew Russell:

No, not at all. Not at all. I think the core team have so much to give. Charles continues to show his versatility. He’s covered American politics, US politics, pretty much any sport, he’s an expert on anything. Then there’s Jane, she’s covered pretty much every breaking news story in the last decade on Weekend Today. No one knows entertainment more like Dickey and who doesn’t love having a chat with him? And then there’s Belinda. What can’t she do? News, entertainment, sport, weather. She can do it all and who doesn’t love her TikToks?

Robert McKnight:

Sources tell me you’ve been given a lot of latitude, that you’re allowed to take the show, the bull by the horns, if you like, and make it your own. Is that freeing? Is that scary? How do you feel about that?

Matthew Russell:

A little bit daunting, I guess, but I feel like I know this format and this genre very well. I’ve been in it for a long time and now I get to have a little bit of freedom with what I want to do. Obviously, at the end of the day, I’m under the Today umbrella. Steven Burling is my boss. I’ll talk to him all the time. Same as Darren Wick, the news director, I’ll be talking with him all the time. But in terms of the show, it’s myself and my new supervising producer, Ash Sculley, who I’ve worked with for a long time. She’s an incredible person, knows news like no other. I think we’ll be a great team together and we’ll be able to evolve the show as time goes on.

Robert McKnight:

As television audiences fall a little bit because of all the content available, one of the areas that doesn’t seem to be overly affected, it’s affected, but not to the same scale is news-based programming. Do you see the future of television being more news-based program?

Matthew Russell:

Absolutely. I think that’s one of the things. Same as live sport. It’s one of the things you can’t really watch on delay or when you want, because I mean, obviously you can access it wherever you want, but people crave news. Look at what people do on their phones and the way that we’re evolving, just as much as the audience is evolving. We’re changing with them. And television will continue to do that as we go on. What the future looks like, I don’t know, I’m sure you don’t know, but we’ll have to adapt with it as we go, just to… Because television won’t die. It’ll just evolve and change with our audience.

Robert McKnight:

What has been the reaction to you taking this role?

Matthew Russell:

I mean, it’s been very supportive, which has been great. I’m very excited. Karl and Ally have been incredibly encouraging. They’ve spoken to me a lot about it and offered their advice to me. It’s a very different role for me, which I’ve loved. Same as the greater team as well. My boss, Lesa De Re, who is a supervising producer, is very encouraging, and they’ve been really supportive of me.

Robert McKnight:

When you look back after your first year in the role, what do you hope to have achieved?

Matthew Russell:

Oh, it is a tough question. What do I want to… I want to be very happy with it and I want the audience to hopefully come along the ride with me and the same as the… Yeah, the audience is really… Think audience engagement and responding to what I want to do with this show, that will be, I’ll be very proud of that if that happens.

Robert McKnight:

While the weekday version of Today has been very competitive against Sunrise at various points, yes, it’s struggling now, but it has been competitive at times, Weekend Today not so much. Do you feel like you’ve got a bit of a challenge on your hand?

Matthew Russell:

I wouldn’t say a challenge. Any job’s a challenge. I guess it is a challenge. I think that Kendall Bora, who currently is the EP of the show, she’s moving over to the weekday show. I think she’s set up a pretty well-oiled machine. It’s big shoes to fill, but at the end of the day, I’m not going to be… I guess everyone brings something different to the show. So, we’ll see what happens

Robert McKnight:

If your 16-year-old self could see the 31-year-old taking this role, what would he think?

Matthew Russell:

I’ve never been asked that question before. I know people ask it all the time to people, but I hope little 16-year-old me will be very happy. I mean, super TV nerd back then, I haven’t changed. I still am a super TV nerd. I think he’d be happy. And I’d tell him that, just keep working hard, doing what you love. Don’t worry about anything, you got there, and I guess that’s it.

Robert McKnight:

Matt, thanks for your time and wish you all the best in the role

Matthew Russell:

Thanks Rob

Weekend Today airs 7am Saturday and Sundays on Nine

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Robert McKnight
Robert McKnighthttps://tvblackbox.com.au/robert-mcknight/
"Leading TV commentator" - The Daily Telegraph | "Known for his impeccable sources in the TV industry" - The Daily Mail | "Always first with the correct info" - Beau Ryan | Robert McKnight is a highly regarded Australian Television Producer having worked at SEVEN, NINE and TEN during his 30 years in the industry. Currently Rob can be seen every fortnight on THE MORNING SHOW (7) and heard on NIGHTS WITH JOHN STANLEY (2GB/4BC). He is also a producer on 7 NEWS SPOTLIGHT.
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