Midweek axed as TV3 launches major revamp

By Laura Larkin

TV3 IS dropping the station's Midweek show to make way for current affairs programmes produced by its newly set-up documentary unit.

Colette Fitzpatrick has 
anchored Midweek since it first became part of the station's roster in 2009.

She has been part of the busy Ballymount newsroom for 12 years, after cutting her teeth in radio stations Today FM and East Coast FM in Wicklow.

A spokesperson for the station said that Colette will be heavily involved in the new documentaries and current affairs programming, drawing on her vast experience in Irish newsrooms.

The move will see the entire Midweek team working on the replacement programmes along with other established names from the TV3 news team.

There are big changes in store for the Ballymount broadcaster, with a new prime-time show to be broadcast every evening during the week from January 2015.

It is a significant undertaking for the station, with up to a dozen people working on the programme that will air in the early evening.

A well-known name is set to be the anchor, according to the commercial broadcaster - but it has yet to be revealed who will helm the new show.

But it has been confirmed that it will be a completely new face at the Ballymount station, but TV3 is determined to keep their identity under wraps until the end of the summer.

"The new nightly show represents a major commitment by TV3 to cover people and items of interest happening all over Ireland," according to a statement.

The newly-established Public Affairs Documentary Unit will produce a range of current affairs programming on topical issues of the day.

Meanwhile, TV3's sister station 3e will see its news programme FYI scrapped in favour of 60-second news reports throughout the day under the name The Thread.

The changes at the broadcaster come ahead of its annual autumn schedule launch.

TV3's flagship current affairs programme, Tonight With Vincent Browne, is staying safe in the scheduling reshuffle.

diagnosis

Veteran journalist Browne has fronted the show since 2007, but due to health concerns was forced to take a break from 
filming until September of this year.

Browne tried to work through a diagnosis of pneumonia, he said, and ended up needing to take time off from work as a result.

He became ill around the time of the local and European elections which was an exceptionally busy time for the current affairs anchor.

hnews@herald.ie