Merrick and Rosso split

Tim Ross, one half of Sydney's Merrick and Rosso radio double act, has decided not to re-sign with Nova. Acccording to the Daily Telegraph, he will leave the station next month, throwing into doubt the future of the Nova breakfast show he co-hosts with Merrick Watts and former Home and Away star Kate Ritchie. Although they are beaten in the commercial FM ratings by the Kyle and Jackie O Show on 2Day, Merrick and Rosso have been solid longtime performers for Nova, and the adition of Ritchie a couple of years ago is seen in industry circles as having merely extended an act that was approaching its due-by date. Ritchie is also expected to leave the station. As I have noted on many occasions, the entire radio landscape is changing. With Nova's Sydney sister station Vega opting for an almost music-only breakfast format, and with ad revenue in decline, anything could happen. Two things are certain: whoever replaces them will receive less money, and they will not pull the same audience, at least not initially. As Brisbane's B105 discovered a few years ago, building a new show takes a long time. Of course, the decision does give Nova something of an advantage in the next cycle, because it'll have probably bedded-in a new show by the time Kyle Sandilands leaves 2Day (which, despite his recent ratings surge, will be relatively soon.) When he does go, Sandilands will be the last of the megabuck radio stars in Australia as broadcasters look to the bottom line and discover that winning isn't everything when it comes to running a profitable business.