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ABC axes 'Molly' and 'Countdown'
Molly" Mekirum Help
Molly" Mekirum
SYDNEY: The pop-music televi-
sion show Countdown, has been axed
by the ABC.
The controller of ABC corporate re-
lations, Mr Keith Jackson, said yester-
day that Countdown would be
replaced by a three-hour program to be
screened on Saturday mornings.
Ian "Molly" Meldrum, Count-
down's host of 13 years, will not be
compere, but Mr Jackson said his de-
parture from the ABC had been amica-
ble. Negotiations for the compere of
the new, as yet unnamed program were
still underway.
Countdown's grand finale will be its
annual awards at the Sydney Enter-
tainment Centre on Sunday, July 19,
but no date has been set for the intro-
duction of the new program.
Mr Jackson denied that the new
program was being slotted to compete
with the Seven Network's Sounds
show on Saturday mornings - Count-
down is screened in the early evening
on Saturdays and Sundays.
"I think that we just discovered with
Beatbox [an ABC program] that the
earlier screening suited younger view-
ers," he said, and the ABC had con-
cluded that young viewers wanted
something more exciting and varied
than straight video clips.
The ABC's managing director, Mr
David Hill, said the new program
would expand to cover youth issues,
comedy and fashion.
"Audiences want more - more per-
sonalities, more information, more
comedy, more about lifestyles," he
said.
"I understand that Ian has decided
to take a brief spell from television,
but I cannot imagine that he will be
away long."
The editor of Countdown magazine,
Mr Michael Mohl, said the magazine
would continue to publish and there
might be a role for "Molly" there.
"Molly has always been closely in
volved in the promotion of the maga-
zine and we are considering
maintaining a relationship with him,"
he said. '
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