Merrick Watts has teamed up with Rachel Corbett and Julian Schiller to present the drive shift on Triple M. Merrick & The Highway Patrol will be heard weekdays from Monday 27 February, after Merrick’s Nova hold-back clause expires. Merrick has told radioinfo, the trio had one audition together and Austereo management could immediately tell they were well matched. “Chemistry is a big part of radio and the chemistry here is real.”
radioinfo spoke to the three presenters from their studio, where that chemistry was evident from the level of comfort they had with each other and the way they naturally finished each others jokes. “It’s a comedy shift,” Merrick explained, and Jules added, “Everyone’s in a better mood driving home, you can really have fun.”
The show will be heard on Triple M in capital cities, and also on Southern Cross Austereo’s LocalWorks stations.
radioinfo: “How many regional stations will it be on?”
Merrick and Rachel: “All the local works stations… about 30 something stations… say 140 stations cause that sounds awesome, but it’s really only 30!”
They plan to use the opportunity of having a regional network to reach out to people in the bush and add that unique Aussie sense of humour to the show through stunts and talkback.
After so many years on breakfast Merrick says the change of timeslot will also make a big difference to his lifestyle. He and his wife has two young children. All three presenters have done drive shifts before, which they believe will give them an edge because they know the timeslot.
Comparing the breakfast and drive programs Merrick says breakfast is so full of news, info and traffic there is less time to have fun. On drive the team plans to do all the basics but also have enough time to “kick back and tell jokes.”
Have they assigned roles to each other within the show? “Rachel laughs on cue when Merrick says something not funny, and I laugh, and he feels good,” says Jules. “Jules is usually in the corner of the studio in the foetal position,” fires back Merrick.
But Merrick explains more seriously that there has been no artificial coaching about what roles they should play. “All three of us want the show to be a big success. Nobody wants to go off and do something else or use this as a second job. This is the real deal. We’re all radio veterans. We don’t have to raise hands to signal – we can look in each other’s eyes and know that the other one has something to add. It’s easy to be generous and fluid with each other because we’re all up to speed.”
“They haven’t cast roles for us,” says Merrick. “Austereo told me, we just want you to be you and the others to have fun around you… They know a good radio show when they hear it, and we know what’s expected from us.”
How does Rachel enjoy working with Merrick? “It’s horrible (laughs)… actually I’ve worked in enough teams to know when it works. This works. Paul Murray and I had great chemistry and I was concerned I might never find that again, but now that I’ve met these guys here it is again…
Merrick says, “It’s like a radio sex party.”
Is there a ratings target for the program? “Let’s generate audience reaction first, then ratings will follow,” says Merrick.
Promotions for the show will be around a Mad Max theme, as shown by the promotional poster.
Merrick & The Highway Patrol can be heard in prime time drive on Triple M Sydney and Brisbane from 4-6pm. The show will be timeshifted to be heard in Melbourne from 6pm, Perth from 10pm, while in Adelaide and on the regional network the show will air from 5-7pm.
Austereo’s Craig Bruce is excited about this new show: “I’m confident that Merrick and the Highway Patrol will quickly become one of the funniest shows on Australian radio. Listeners from Brisbane to Bunbury and just about everywhere in-between are about to get a genuine laugh on their way home.”