The Hit Network is betting on a new formula for national Drive in 2027, aiming to balance the unpredictable personalities that make compelling radio with the commercial realities of keeping advertisers onside.
It’s a familiar challenge for commercial radio, where the moments that get audiences talking aren’t always the ones brands want to be associated with.
Luisa Dal Din and Jack Archdale, better known as “Lu & Jarch,” will host Hit Network Drive weekdays from 4 pm to 6 pm from Monday 18 January 2027, filling the slot left by Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little. The pair will also bring their podcast, “We Mean Well,” to LiSTNR.
It’s a fast promotion. The duo made their radio debut on Triple M Early Drive in mid-2025, bringing a fiercely online following, more than 900,000 combined social followers and over 31 million TikTok likes, and a brand built on being unfiltered.
Matthew O’Reilly, head of broadcast content at Seven Media Group, is just as keen to sell what that means for the people paying the bills.
“It’s also a win for our commercial partners, giving brands a powerful and seamless presence across broadcast and digital,” O’Reilly told Mediaweek.
Mediaweek flagged in February that “Lu & Jarch” were being tipped for bigger things, after their national 2 pm–4 pm slot climbed from 8.6 to 10.4. At the time, Dal Din’s verdict on a move was a breezy “See what happens.”
Love Film & TV?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in music, film and TV in Australia and abroad.
O’Reilly said the network had reached the same conclusion.
“I think Mediaweek caught on to it pretty early that there was more for them than the 2pm-4pm early Drive slot. And then we were probably thinking about what that would look like,” he told Mediaweek.
Keeping them on Triple M was never really an option, he said.
“We’re very happy with our Rush Hour strategy on Triple M. It works really well from the ratings and revenue point of view, and we’re pretty happy with our current Breakfast lineup. The only area for them to grow was joining the Hit Network, and it was an easy decision.”
Amanda Lee, head of Hit Network metro content, said the pair were made for the brand.
“They love pop culture, which we are all about and music, but I just think it’s just such a fresh and honest and hilarious surprise that will reinvigorate the Hit Network,” she said.
“I think it gives us a real chance to freshen up the entire Hit Network.”
Archdale, who has spent a sizeable chunk of his career across Hit and Triple M, put it more simply: “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.”
The vacancy follows the end of Bickmore and Little’s decade on Hit Drive. In September, Carrie Bickmore was reported to be in line for ARN’s national Drive slot, vacated by “Will & Woody” at the end of 2026.
“That’s no mean feat in this industry, surviving 10 years; they’ve been very successful for us, but it just became clear it was time for all parties concerned, and we wish them all the best,” O’Reilly said.
Drive wasn’t the only 2027 surprise. In Sydney, Michael Clarke – Ashes hero, World Cup-winning captain, Noosa fan, and now FM Breakfast rookie – will join Nath Roye and Emma Chow on 2DayFM Breakfast from Monday 11 January 2027.
He’s joining a rising show. Nath and Emma have grown Breakfast share to 4.9% in Survey 6, 2026, up two share points since the end of 2025, across four consecutive GfK surveys.
“Nath and Emma have done an excellent job building their audience this year. They’ve worked hard, with lots of great, strong story arcs, and have become really connected to the audience,” Lee said. “For us, now is the right time to keep building on that momentum.”
A three-hander is new territory for the show. “We haven’t done it before. I think it’s super exciting, and as soon as we heard Michael with Nathan and Emma, it got us really excited,” Lee said. “He brings a really strong, distinct voice and has great opinions.”
Which brings us to the line that sums up the network’s entire 2027 pitch. O’Reilly isn’t pretending Clarke will play it safe.
“He will be opinionated; that’s who he is, and we like that. We think there’s room for the right amount of edge on radio, not the edge that alienates clients, but the edge that makes it must-listen, and he’ll bring that intrigue; I think people won’t be able to wait to hear it. We’ve got the benefit. We’ve heard the demos.”
Swap in “Lu & Jarch” at 4 pm and the formula holds: unfiltered enough to be talked about, polished enough to be sold.
Clarke, for his part, is treating it as a fresh innings. “Now FM Breakfast radio is a completely new challenge and one I’m excited to get stuck into!” he said.
Chow, meanwhile, has identified the real win: “Importantly, now Nath has someone who genuinely wants to hear his golf stories.”
Clarke will make regular appearances on the show for the rest of 2026 before officially starting in January.
The network has heard the demos. Come January, everyone else will hear them, clients included.
From Mediaweek