Broadcaster and podcaster Marc Fennell will host a new Saturday afternoon show on Australia’s national ideas network Radio National in 2021.
The Weekend with Marc Fennell will air from 30 January from 1-3pm and will feature an eclectic range of RN content, from existing programs such as Earshot, seasonal drama such as RN Fictions and new ABC podcasts like Days Like These. It will also broadcast interview highlights from the preceding week across the network.
RN’s manager, Cath Dwyer, said, “The Weekend with Marc Fennell is an exciting development for the network. Its flexible format will allow us to feature short-run content and weekly highlights from RN’s hugely diverse schedule, while remaining true to our commitment to thoughtful, intelligent and surprising audio content.”
Fennell said, “Every time you flick on The Weekend, trust that we’ll bring you Australia’s best conversations, biggest ideas and wildest adventures. It’s going to be a blast sharing the finest ABC audio storytelling with audiences each Saturday.”
Fennell will continue to present Download This Show, RN’s weekly guide to the world of media, culture and technology.
The Weekend with Marc Fennell will also provide a broadcast launch for exciting new content from ABC Audio Studios, such as the new science comedy show The Pop Test. The 30-minute quiz pits a panel of three guests together, rather than against each other, to answer questions on a wide range of science-themed content such as The Atom, Space Travel and Evolution.
The Pop Test is created and presented by Andy Matthews and Al Tremblay Birchall, two of the writing minds behind Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell, and will feature guest appearances from Kate McCartney, Kate McLennan, Nazeem Hussain, Alan Duffy and others.
Popular weekly ethics program The Minefield, hosted by Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens, will see in the new year with a refreshed, hour-long format.
Weekend Life Matters and the weekly World Docos will not return in 2021, to make way for new content in the schedule. Life Matters continues each weekday from 9-10am and RN will continue to feature a range of acclaimed international documentary content in different timeslots.
A full RN 2021 schedule will be published in January.
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