
Channel 10 is planning a big-budget breakfast show for 2012 to take on Today and Sunrise. Dr. Andrew Rochford, a regular on the 7pm project, and former Block contestant, is tipped to host.
The move is believed to be part of Ten’s bid to revamp its program mix and appeal to more advertisers.
Channel 10 did not confirm details of the show, but they will be up against Gold Logie winner Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson on Nine’s Today and Melissa Doyle and David “Kochie” Koch on Seven’s Sunrise.
Ten is also rumoured to be planning revamped versions of old hits It’s A Knockout (family game show, similar to Wipeout) and Young Talent Time (kid’s variety show – Where The X Factors Dannii Minogue started).
It will also screen the six-part Australian drama series Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms, from the makers of Underbelly.
Ten will reveal its 2012 schedule this week as it tries to prop up its big-budget DIY show The Renovators.
Friday’s How To show attracted 405,000 viewers nationally – a complete ratings failure, considering the show’s reported $25 million cost.
“What a programming and marketing disaster,” Fusion Strategy’s Steve Allen said yesterday.
One rival network executive has described The Renovators as “terminal”, but a Ten spokesperson said: “The Renovators is performing well in key demos and we have absolute faith in the format.”
The good news for Ten and The Renovators is that Nine’s renovation show The Block, which regularly attracts about 1.4 million viewers, ends next Sunday.
But Maxus Media executive Mark McCraith said a ratings bounce for The Renovators was unlikely.
“The casting has been terrible, the challenges are unrealistic and sandwiching it on Sunday night was an appalling programming decision,” he said.
The fate of 6.30 with George Negus next year is unclear. The show languished, with just 371,000 viewers on Friday.
Source Adelaide Now