Wednesday 27 October 1999
By eBroadcast Staff and agencies.

The Nine Network late this afternoon officially announced the axing of the long running variety program Hey Hey It’s Saturday.

The Saturday night Australian institution began as an early morning childrens show before heading to an adults only slot late on Saturday night, before moving back to the more family-friendly timeslot of 6.30pm. The axing was due to high-costs.

No word on the future of Daryl Somers with the network, or a possible replacement. Industry insiders tell the Sofcom TV Guide that the network is looking at a younger, "hipper" music/comedy show running for one hour. Names being rattled about include new talkshow host Rove McManus, ABCer Dylan Lewis, kids cartoon show host Ryan Lappin (Cheez TV, Ch10) and Melbourne radio host Captian Turntable – possibly all four.

The final Hey Hey It’s Saturday will air on November 20th. A possible compilation program may air before then.