Breakfast

Paul Henry and Kathryn Robinson are set to leave Channel 10 after Breakfast was axed today. The Ten breakfast show will cease production on November 30 after failing in the ratings this year.

Breakfast, which is hosted by Henry and Robinson, has been posting around a tenth of the ratings of rivals Sunrise and Today.

The show has lasted less than a year. Breakfast has averaged around 40,000 viewers nationally per day since it debuted on February 23. Continue reading »

Ten’s new morning news and talk show Breakfast is rating so poorly, that it surely could not be considered sustainable. Ratings average around the 40,000 mark, but have hit as low as 24,000 on some mornings.

With Seven’s Sunrise reaching over 400,000 on average, Nine’s Today not far behind in the high 300,000′s and ABC’s breakfast offering reaching around 70,000 over two channels, Ten’s Breakfast has had no impact on the three existing offerings.

As Breakfast has such low figures, it must now be difficult to justify the money paid for its opinionated host New Zealand import Paul Henry.

Ten are well known for persisting with these sorts of decisions. The Project still being on air is testimony to their commitment to sticking with shows that are not necessarily an instant ratings hit.

But the difference between Breakfast and The Project, is that the Project is not rating at 10% of what its highest rating competitor in the timeslot is – it comparatively does better.

Ten say they are in for the long haul with Breakfast, but how long can the network sustain figures that low? Shows on digital channels in the morning pull better figures – namely ABC2 and ABC3 in the hours before children go to school. Children’s programming on 7TWO, 7mate, GO! and ELEVEN all are in a similar ball park as far as morning viewers are concerned.

Ten are not having a good run this year, with the network fourth in main channel shares on a numerous nights. So far, the impact of James Warburton has had little effect over the network’s overall performance.

Maybe in 2013 we will see a real difference with Ten vying for numerous sporting rights held currently by other networks and commissioning of new shows set to air later this year and next.

The Ten Network’s new show, Breakfast, made a rather modest debut yesterday morning, attracting an average of 51,000 viewers nationally.

That result put it in fourth place, behind Seven’s Sunrise (399,000 viewers nationally), Nine’s Today (348,000) and ABC News Breakfast (56,000).

Seven and Nine’s spin doctors will undoubtedly label the result with less flattering adjectives, but to put the numbers in context, Ten had rushed the show into the schedule with very little promotion hoping to capitalise on the Labor leadership crisis as a breaking news story.

The show, which features New Zealand television personality Paul Henry, Dr Andrew Rochford, Ten journalist Kathryn Robinson and weather journalist Magdalena Roze, was originally scheduled to launch on Monday.

As a result, it launched with no advertising support and ahead of most of the marketing and publicity planned for the show’s launch timed for this weekend.

The show was also not screened live in Queensland and South Australia because of time differences. On a morning where most viewing was driven by a breaking news story, that undoutedly left Breakfast at a serious disadvantage to its competitors.

Regardless of the ratings outcome, the decision to rush it into the schedule was smart as it sent a clear signal to the market that Ten was committed to making its new baby a legitimate fourth contender in the breakfast TV market.

One of the key indicators the market will be watching closely is how much Breakfast shaves off the existing market leaders Sunrise and Today and whether Ten’s new audience siphons from one more heavily than the other.

The day one result doesn’t flag that too loudly, though the margin of 50,000 viewers between Sunrise and Today is slightly larger than usual and suggests that the first, very slight, shaving may have come from Today.

The most watched program last night was My Kitchen Rules with 1.63 million viewers. It propelled the Seven Network to an overall win for the night with a combined share of 34.0 per cent.

Source – The Age

There will be a special live extended Breakfast on Monday the 27th due to the Rudd vs Gillard ballot at 10am AEDT

The show will start at 6am AEDT and air LIVE to all markets – which means in WA – it starts at 3am!

The Circle will not air on Monday as a result as Breakfast, including the live coverage of the ballot is expected to finish around 11.30am AEDT.

The CBS Morning show will not air in WA and QLD. Oddly – Totally Wild is on at 4.30am in QLD, Breakfast follows at 5am.

Channel Ten has launched this new website for Breakfast.

We said be prepared for a show that’s cheeky and unpredictable, and today’s surprise resignation by Kevin Rudd means it’s time for Breakfast to launch.

Guesting on The Project this evening, Breakfast host Paul Henry made the announcement that TEN’s Breakfast show will launch tomorrow, Thursday 23rd February at 6am. The team is ready.  The wait is over.

Paul Henry says: “This is a hugely exciting evening. We are not launching Breakfast on Monday. TEN are launching Breakfast tomorrow morning at 6am. How good is that!”

As a result of this Wurrawhy will move to the new timeslot of 11.30am aon Thursday and Friday. At 4pm on Thursday Scope will air and on Friday at 4pm it will be Totally Wild. Any further information will update here.

With Breakfast starting on Ten from Monday February 27, the regular children’s programming that usually airs on Ten moves to ELEVEN.

Weekday mornings on ELEVEN from Monday February 27 will look like this:

6.00am Toasted TV
6.05 Bayblade Metal Fusion
6.30 Bakugan
7.00 Toasted TV
7.05 Pokemon
7.25 Toasted TV
7.30 Redekal (premiere Monday Feb 27)
8.00 Spongebob Squarepants
8.25 Toasted TV
8.30 Victorious
8.55 Toasted TV

From 9am, ELEVEN returns to its regular day time programming.

Notably missing though is the morning catch up of Neighbours, which currently airs at 8.30am weekdays.

Over on Ten, weekday mornings have Breakfast Early from 6am, Breakfast at 7am, and The Circle at 9am. Ten’s Morning News airs at 11am.

Wurrawhy (preschool children’s program) will now air at 11.30am weekdays on Ten, while Totally Wild will air at 4pm Mon-Wed, Scope 4pm Thur and H2O Just add Water 4pm Fridays.

Note commercial main channels, as part of their licensing conditions, must air half an hour of “P” rated programming and half an hour of “C” rated programming each weekday. Breakfast taking over the mornings is the reason these P and C rated shows move into different times.

Network Ten have today confirmed that their new morning television offering, Breakfast, will debut at 6am Monday 27 February.

The show, hosted by Andrew Rochford, Paul Henry and Kath Robinson, will offer viewers ‘debate’ and ‘conversation’ and promises to ‘throw out the rule book’.

Network Ten’s Head of News and Current Affairs, Anthony Flannery says: “Breakfast is a tough, competitive environment and we can’t wait to get into the game. Already, the opposition is taking cheap pot shots – I couldn’t be happier that they’re taking us so seriously, so soon.” 

“We plan to make Breakfast a must-watch part of Australia’s day. From fact to fun, it’s going to be a fresh start to the morning TV schedule.” 

The show also features Meteorologist Magdalena Rose as weather presenter and Reuben Mourad in an unnamed role.

Network TEN is pleased to put months of media whispers to rest and announce that TEN’s own Kathryn Robinson and meteorologist Magdalena Roze, will complete its upcoming Breakfast show line-up. 

Joining already confirmed hosts Paul Henry and Andrew Rochford, the team of four, together will deliver a breakfast offering that true to the TEN brand, promises to be spontaneous, unexpected and cheeky.  

Network TEN’s Head of News and Current Affairs, Anthony Flannery says “The chemistry between these four personalities is exactly what we are after for Breakfast. It was obvious from the beginning of auditions that they have a dynamic with a difference; unpredictable but the perfect start to the day.”

One of TEN’s most versatile and popular presenters, Kathryn anchors across the entire TEN News schedule and her sharp wit, smart journalistic sense and ability to think on her feet have led to a regular spot on The Project’s desk.  

Kathryn began her career as a finance trader before gaining her masters in journalism and settling on a future in the field of news and current affairs. With over a decade of experience in front of the camera, she has led live news coverage from many key national and international events, including last year’s Royal wedding and the Delhi Commonwealth Games. 

Mum to four-year-old twins Sam and Lucy, Kathryn is more than accustomed to the early starts required for her new role and on her appointment she says:”I’m thrilled to join Paul and Andrew at the Breakfast table. TEN is committed to offering our viewers a fresh start to  the day and I’m delighted to be involved. Thankfully I’m familiar with early mornings; I’ll need to be on the ball to keep these two in check!” 

Magdalena joined TEN in September 2011 as meteorologist and journalist for the National Weekend News and will be Breakfast’s resident weather expert. A self-proclaimed weather nerd, she completed a tertiary degree in Atmospheric Science, winning both the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society Prize and the Biophysical Environments Prize. Magdalena’s bubbly personality and perfect academic record ensured roles at The Weather Channel and National Geographic.  

Magdalena’s warm and engaging on-screen presence, matched with her ability to inject weather reporting with personality, makes her the perfect fourth addition to TEN’s Breakfast team. She brings a wealth of meteorology experience and has built a loyal following of viewers on TEN. 

Magdalena said of her appointment, “I’ve had such a fantastic journey at TEN so far and now I’m really excited to enter brand new territory with Breakfast. I live and breathe the weather and, while Paul Henry doesn’t believe me yet, in a country as large and diverse as Australia, there is some kind of extraordinary weather event happening in some part of the nation every day!”

What Was I Thinking.

Network Ten’s chief programming officer, David Mott said: “Paul is exactly what we’ve been after for Breakfast.

He’s cheeky, mischievous and unapologetically forthright, just like TEN’s viewers. While you can’t ever be sure

what Paul will do, when he’s on air, you know he’s going to tackle the elephant in the room.”

Network Ten’s interim head of news and current affairs, Dermot O’Brien said: “With his edgy style, Paul is the

perfect complement for our growing Breakfast team. We’re excited to have a host, commentator and journalist of

Paul’s calibre who can bring his own unique take to News and Current Affairs. We’re delighted Paul is on board

and will add an exciting dimension to Breakfast.”

Commenting on his appointment, Paul Henry said: “This is the sort of opportunity that can easily never come

along in a broadcaster’s lifetime. The fit between me and TEN is absolutely perfect, and I know Australia is ready

for the kind of breakfast show we have in mind.”