After almost a decade hosting Nova’s popular drive show, Kate Ritchie’s time at the radio network could be up.
Well-placed radio sources say the future of the former Home and Away star – who joined the show in 2013 alongside Tim Blackwell and former host Marty Sheargold – is ‘uncertain’ as she and her management enter contract renegotiations.
Her hopes of a new deal were delivered a huge blow when she was busted for drink-driving in Sydney’s eastern suburbs this week.
Radio sources say Nova FM drive host Kate Ritchie (centre, with Tim Blackwell, left, and Joel Creasy, right) is set to enter contract renegotiations but her future at the station is uncertain
The former Home and Away star was stopped by police for a random breath test in her blue Subaru station wagon at 2.45pm last Monday on Heffron Rd in Pagewood.
Ritchie, 44, tested positive by the roadside and was immediately arrested and taken to Maroubra Police Station where she underwent a secondary breath analysis which returned a positive reading of 0.06 – just over the legal limit.
A police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia: ‘She was issued with an infringement notice for the offence of Drive with Low Range Prescribed Concentration of Alcohol and issued a Licence Suspension Notice.’
Ritchie is understood to have been fined $600 on the spot and suspended from driving for three months.
She snubbed the media near her home when she was seen for the first time since being busted and refused to answer questions about it or her future.
The incident came while the veteran star is on three weeks’ leave from her show, after clocking up a series of extended holidays over the past few years.
The recent extended absences from the airwaves have been cited by an industry insider as one of the black marks against Ritchie’s name, along with her bumper salary package which has steadily grown over the years to an estimated $1.5million.
At one point in 2020, Ritchie took seven consecutive weeks of leave from her late-afternoon shift, whichone radio figure said was ‘unheard of’.
A Nova spokesperson was quick to dismiss speculation Ritchie was being replaced, insisting she was ‘collaborating’ with her management to balance her radio commitments with a planned ‘return to her acting roots’.
The former soap star, who is also a judge on the upcoming season of Australia’s Got Talent on Channel Seven, hosts Nova’s drive show with Blackwell and relative newcomer Joel Creasy, who replaced Sheargold in 2020.
Ricki-Lee Coulter is currently filling in for Ritchie and has been named as her most-likely successor should Nova opt to wind up her tenure with the network.
Coulter would cost the station about $300,000 per year, a source said, making her a far more affordable option as Nova reportedly tries to slash its budget.
Nova’s national drive show is estimated to have an annual budget of about $4million but is being beaten in the ratings by KIIS FM’s Will and Woody, hosted by popular duo Will McMahon and Woody Whitelaw, who are paid about $500,000 each.
Ricki-Lee Coulter (pictured) is currently filling in for Ritchie and has been named as her most-likely successor should Nova opt to wind up her tenure with the network
Extended absences have been cited by one insider as one of the black marks against Ritchie
Ritchie originally joined Nova in 2008 as a breakfast host with Merrick Watts and Tim Ross.
She quit that job in 2010 for a return to acting but later joined the drive team in 2014.
Flanked by Blackwell and Sheargold, the show won three Australian Commercial Radio Awards: Best Networked Program in 2015, and Best On-Air Team in 2016 and 2017.
Sheargold quit in 2020 for a solo post at The Marty Sheargold Show on Triple M.
In the most recent survey, Kate, Tim and Joel grew its Sydney audience by 0.4 percentage points to an overall share of 9.7 per cent.
The program placed third behind Byron Webb at Smooth FM (10 per cent) and Will and Woody on KIIS (10.7 per cent).
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ritchie’s representatives for comment.
Ritchie (pictured in January 2019) joined the Nova drive team in 2014
A Nova spokesperson confirmed Ritchie is currently on leave but insisted they had ‘no plans’ to change their current on-air team.
‘Whilst we don’t usually comment on this type of unfounded speculation, or confirm our presenter line-up for 2023, we have no plans for any changes to the Kate, Tim and Joel drive show or Kate’s role within the show.
‘Nova has been collaborating with Kate’s management to support Kate to pursue select opportunities on the screen, including a return to her acting roots, and as a result she will return on air after the survey break.
‘Kate is a talented broadcaster and a respected member of the Kate, Tim & Joel and Nova Network team and we won’t be commenting any further on this type of speculation.’
Nova’s national drive show is estimated to have an annual budget of about $4million but is being beaten in the ratings by KIIS FM’s Will and Woody, hosted by popular duo Will McMahon (left) and Woody Whitelaw (right), who are paid about $500,000 each
The rumours surrounding Ritchie’s future at Nova come just a month after the departure of former content boss Paul Jackson, the man who originally recruited Ritchie to drive in 2013.
Jackson’s replacement of sorts is Adam Johnson, who was appointed in January in the newly formed role of Chief Growth Officer.
Johnson discussed the success of Nova’s drive team this week, telling Mumbrella: ‘In terms of national shows, especially in drive, when you’ve got talents like Kate, Tim and Joel that have genuine appeal, you know that this is something for all Australians.
‘We know that we can find an audience for it, and commercially there’s a big chunk of advertisers that have the ambition to reach every single Australian, and we can help them with that, within their plans.’
The rumours surrounding Ritchie’s future come just a month after the departure of former content boss Paul Jackson (pictured), the man who originally recruited Ritchie to drive in 2013
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