TLDR
Luisa Dal Din and Jack Archdale will host Hit Network national drive from 18 January 2027, replacing Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little. Michael Clarke joins 2DayFM Breakfast. The group presented itself as Seven Media Group, a name shareholders vote on on 5 November.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The new drive show
Luisa Dal Din and Jack Archdale, who present as Lu & Jarch, will host the Hit Network's national drive show, weekdays from 4pm to 6pm, from Monday 18 January 2027. They replace Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little, whose show ends after a decade in the slot.[1] We reported on Bickmore and Little's exit this week.
The pair move up from Triple M's national 2pm to 4pm Early Drive, which they have hosted since mid-2025. They have more than 900,000 social followers and more than 31 million TikTok likes, and their podcast We Mean Well moves to LiSTNR.[1] Archdale said: "Lu and I have built something we're really proud of, and we're ready to have a crack at 4-6pm and make it our own."[1]
Matthew O'Reilly of Seven Media Group pitched the move to advertisers: "It's also a win for our commercial partners, giving brands a powerful and seamless presence across broadcast and digital."[1]
Michael Clarke joins 2DayFM breakfast
Former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke joins Nath Roye and Emma Chow on 2DayFM Breakfast in Sydney from Monday 11 January 2027, with regular appearances before then. The breakfast show's share rose to 4.9% in GfK Survey 6, its fourth consecutive survey of growth.[4] O'Reilly said of Clarke: "He will be opinionated; that's who he is, and we like that."[1]
On television, I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! moves from Ten to Seven in 2027 with Ricki-Lee Coulter and Jim Jefferies as hosts, and Matt Shirvington will host a new prime-time game show, Stacks of Cash. Brendon McCullum returns to Seven's cricket commentary for the Australia-New Zealand Tests from 9 December and joins Ricky Ponting on Triple M.[5][4]
What the merged group is selling
It was the first upfront since Southern Cross Media Group's takeover of Seven West Media, which the ACCC cleared in November 2025.[7] The group presented itself as Seven Media Group, though the name change still needs shareholder approval: a special resolution goes to the annual general meeting on 5 November, needing 75% of votes cast, with the ASX code moving from SXL to SMG.[6]
The group says it reaches 20.4 million Australians a month. It launched Seven iD, which combines first-party audience data from 7plus, LiSTNR and The West Australian, and Studio Seven, a strategy, creative and content partnership unit; a trading platform, Phoenix Exchange, is still in development.[2] Managing director and chief executive Rohan Lund said: "Australians still come together because while the media has changed dramatically, people haven't."[2]
Chief revenue officer Natalie Harvey told B&T: "I think that we will double or triple full ecosystem briefs come through after our Upfront." B&T also reported that Seven is exploring a joint venture with partners including Nine to trade broadcast video on demand through a single interface, with talks at an early stage.[3]
Not everyone was impressed. Mumbrella said the event felt stale beyond the new name, noting that Seven has used the name before and that two shows on the 2027 slate had already been announced and delayed.[5]
SOURCES & CITATIONS
- Mediaweek, Lu & Jarch take Hit Drive as network bets on edge that won't spook clients, 22 October 2026
- Mediaweek, Seven's 2027 power play: one group, every platform, 22 October 2026
- B&T, Seven Media Group: 'Bringing Worlds Together', Nat Harvey upbeat and issues call for action, 22 October 2026
- B&T, Brendon McCullum is back on Seven's commentary, Michael Clarke joins 2DayFM Breakfast, 22 October 2026
- Mumbrella, Seven renames but the song remains the same, 22 October 2026
- Mediaweek, Southern Cross proposes Seven Media Group name change, 5 October 2026
- ACCC, Southern Cross Media's proposed acquisition of Seven West Media not opposed, 13 November 2025
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When do Lu & Jarch start on Hit national drive?
Who joins 2DayFM Breakfast?
Has Southern Cross Media Group changed its name to Seven Media Group?
Is Seven working with Nine on BVOD?
James Dore is founder and editor of Prompt the Market and Strategy Director at Bushnote, a Sydney strategy, SEO and AI search agency. He has a background in strategy, media and financial services, and led consumer product marketing at MONEYME. He writes on AI search, answer engines, technology policy and media economics.
