Fresh new start for ABC RN Drive in 2023

Next year, RN Drive will bring the best news and analysis of the day to audiences at the earlier time of 4pm.

Andy Park will be back hosting RN Drive in 2023, keeping listeners up to date with federal politics, currents affairs, arts, culture and the stories that are making Australia talk.

He says “It’s a privilege hosting RN Drive and I’m excited about what 2023 holds for the program and our listeners. We’ll continue to offer great conversations and in-depth analysis across the huge political, economic, and international stories of our times.”

Following Drive will be stories from across Australia and around the world with David Lipson on PM every weekday afternoon at 5.30pm.

PM will take audiences into the specialist programming hour of The Health Report, The Law Report, The Religion and Ethics Report and The Money at 6pm on Monday to Thursday with Marc Fennell’s media, culture, and technology program Download This Show on Fridays.

ABC RN Manager Cath Dwyer says “Audience habits are changing and the news cycle is moving faster than ever. We’re excited to bring RN Drive to audiences earlier, to unpack the day’s events and be part of national conversations that affect us all.”

ABC RN’s afternoon schedule will still include Conversations at the earlier time of 2pm and the encore broadcast of Late Night Live at 3pm.

Saturdays will also sound different in 2023 with The Bookshelf’s Cassie McCullagh also presenting The Weekend from 1-3pm, replacing Marc Fennell who will continue to host Download This Show and will also bring season 3 of his award winning podcast Stuff The British Stole to audiences in 2023.

Robbie Buck returns to ABC audiences in 2023. He’ll present The Music Show on Saturday and Sunday at 11am for six months as Andrew Ford takes some extended leave to work on other projects.

In addition to the refreshed afternoon schedule, in 2023 audiences will be treated to a range of new and returning programs on ABC RN and ABC listen.

Hamish MacDonald will host a new podcast looking at the personalities of some of the world’s most enigmatic leaders. The new eight-part series, Take Me To Your Leader, will explore the lives and legacies of eight influential heads of state, from Vladmir Putin to Giorgia Meloni, from Xi Jinping to Narendra Modi. The podcast launches on Sunday mornings ABC RN and ABC listen on 29 January.

New seasons of the popular podcast Days Like These will also be heard across the year on ABC RN, alternating with the award-winning documentary show Earshot which returns with new seasons in 2023.

ABC RN listeners will be treated to all their other favourite shows returning in 2023. The full 2023 ABC RN schedule will be available on the website shortly.