Channel 9's Exciting New Rebranding

Last night, Channel 9 debuted its much rumoured rebranding, dispensing with the famous - some would say iconic - station ID which has remained unchanged while the other networks have chopped and changed numerous times over the years.

Well folks, the difference is startling, it's earthshattering, it's genre-busting, it's revolutionary, it's ... well ... it's exactly the same as before. But without the nine dots.

I've seen some pretty pointless corporate rebrandings (the press releases which accompany them are often even better - Southern Cross took two pages to explain exactly why changing their logo would change the face of Australian media, and why they had employed a company whose sole job it is to come up with new brands to do so), but this one would have to take the cake. Kerry Packer - you now have your first mandate to spin in your grave.

`A Current Affair's new decor (and host, Tracy `No, I'm not Naomi Robson' Grimshaw, was equally uninspiring (as was its content, which included that old current affairs show standby, `If we leave a hundred bucks in the pocket of our dry cleaning, will it be returned to us or will we get a chance to chase a couple of screaming dry cleaners down the street?' Working Dog really needs to leave behind slop like The Panel and get together a few more series of Frontline ...)

Even for the purposes of research, I can't bear to give Channel 10's new show, `9am' (which replaces the Bert Newton show) a go. It's all ... just ... too ... horrible ...