There is a very lengthy article in The Australian about Today and Karl Stefanovic, focussing on comments about the “Karl Conundrum” of whether he will stay or go made by attendees at the 60 Minutes 40th anniversary party last week at which Stefanovic was a notable no-show, advice from former Nine journalist Ray Martin, and positive spin from Nine news head Darren Wick who again confirms that Stefanovic will not be replaced next year.
The ratings chart in The Australian comparing the three breakfast shows paints a bleak picture for Today. One aspect I found interesting is that in Sydney, Today has dropped around 15,000 viewers on average from 2017 to 2018 while Sunrise has dropped a couple of thousand but Today is still leading, and News Breakfast is steady. Overall there has been a turnoff in the total average audience watching the three shows in Sydney. There were also combined audience declines in the four other capitals, and all three shows went down in audience year-to-year across the board except for News Breakfast in Melbourne, where they had a good increase, and in Perth where they were steady.
Today not only has a fight against Sunrise and News Breakfast, they also have a fight enticing people to actually switch on their televisions in the morning.
But is that the best approach? They will be lucky to have a breakfast show in 2020 if they don’t make changes.
I am all for stability, and I understand accompanying the removal of your host with radical change is not ideal, but Today cannot keep limping on.
Simply, over Jan 2018, we were promised that by tuning into Today we would make a “fresh” start to our day. Come Jan 22, no content, format or visual changes were made; only the RETURN of a former presenter and still a second-hand version of Sunrise. Nothing fresh in that.
I am surprised to see that Today is still winning in Sydney.
That’s a big call, isn’t it? Even back in 2006-07, I don’t think people were seriously suggesting that Today might be axed within a year.
Personally I think there’s about the same chance of Nine completely exiting the breakfast TV market as them axing the 6pm news: Very slim to none in the foreseeable future, but who knows in the long term as our viewing habits move online.
I definitely agree that the promotional strategy wasn’t the right one.
As I said at the time, the 2018 launch promos really should’ve featured network personalities cheering GG on as she walks through TCN to her seat with Karl with a tagline like “Georgie’s Waking up with Today again!”. But all of that’s ancient history now.
TBH, I was actually under the impression that Sunrise actually might’ve winning the ratings in Sydney this year. Nine haven’t shied away from proclaiming that Today is “Sydney’s #1 Breakfast” in promos specifically for this market in the past, but I haven’t seen/heard anything like that recently.
I thought they were loosing in Sydney which was why there was such a big concern?
Either way if Sunrise have been winning consecutively or just a couple of days a week it just shows you that viewers will switch depending on who the presenter is… something Seven News Sydney should take note of.
Over the past two years, yes, Karl has been going in the last week of November and not returning until the last week of January! With the gossip mags reporting that his wedding is in the first week of December, and overseas, I highly suspect the coming week will either be his last week on air or his first week of holidays. Personally, I would have split his break- have 2-3 weeks off from the last week of November until after the wedding. Return to Today for two weeks (allow Georgie to go on leave) and then take the first 2 weeks of January off.
In saying that, here is hoping that either Deb Knight, David Campbell or Tim Davies fill his seat this year. Could not tolerate Chris Uhlmann again (not really a fan of the Brenton Ragless and Sylvia Jeffreys combo either). And PLEASE don’t try Mark Burrows.
Yeah they usually make Lisa stay right up until Xmas. So I do wonder what team they will be going with? I reckon Deb and Tim Gilbert for 2 weeks then Tim McMillan or Brenton with Sylvia and maybe Alicia thrown in there. I doubt Ben Fordham will do it but who knows.
And in also saying that who will be with David C to host this years carols? Sonia? Delta Goodrem?
Maybe not weekdays but certainly good for weekends.