Wake Up ratings lowest yet as Ten hits one year anniversary of axing Breakfast
The appearance of Ita Buttrose on Channel Ten’s breakfast show Wake Up failed to lift the show’s declining ratings, which yesterday fell to the lowest since launch. The first half hour of the show rated just 13,000 viewers while the 7am to 8.30am segment only improved to 28,000, according to preliminary overnight metro ratings from OzTAM.
Buttrose’s farcical water taxi journey from Manly to the Channel Ten studios in Pyrmont for mid morning show Studio 10 only rated 32,000 viewers, despite being heavily promoted in advance.
In analysis released to the market this morning from media commentator Steve Allen’s Fusion Strategy, he described the show’s ratings as “big trouble” for the network. He said in his assessment: ” Yesterday’s figures awful, near halving of launch last week and way below Breakfast.” Breakfast was cancelled by Ten a year ago today.
Allen added: “Ten cannot take a trick, not a single one.”
Updated: An analysis of the minute-by-minute ratings indicates that the show fell to just 6,000 metro viewers nationally between 6.35am and 6.38am and 6.41am to 6.44am – the lowest number it has so far hit. It then stayed below 10,000 until 6.48am. The show’s peak audience so far is 80,000 at 7.59am on Melbourne Cup day.
Seven’s Sunrise averaged 380,000 while Today had 335,000 viewers on Channel Nine.
Seven’s The Morning Show averaged 200,000 while Morning’s on Nine rated 132,000.
Meanwhile in peak time Highway Patrol had just over 1m viewers on Seven, and was followed by Air Rescue with 858,000. Seven’s The Blacklist averaged just over 1m, ranking fifth for the night.
Ten’s strongest performer was Eyewitness News with 670,000 metro viewers, while Homeland was 27th with an average audience of 385,000.
Seven had a narrow win on the night with a 21.4 per cent share of the audience while Nine had 20 per cent share and Channel Ten’s share fell to 9.3 per cent.
Monday’s top 15 shows:
- The Big Bang Theory Nine 1.289m
- Nine News Nine 1,250m
- Seven News Seven 1.237m
- Today Tonight Seven 1.060m
- The Blacklist Seven 1.032m
- Australian Story ABC1 1.018m
- Highway Patrol Seven 1m
- Home and Away Seven 993,000
- The Big Bang Theory Rpt Ep2 Nine 959,000
- A Current Affair Nine 954,000
- ABC News ABC1 944,000
- Four Corners ABC1 923,000
- ABC News Update ABC1 903,000
- 7.30 ABC1 899,000
- Air Rescue Seven 858,000
Monday’s share:
- Seven 21.4%
- Nine 20.0%
- ABC1 17.3%
- TEN 9.3%
- SBS ONE 4.7%
- 7mate 4.3%
- GO! 4.1%
- ELEVEN 4.0%
- 7TWO 3.4%
- Gem 3.2%
- ABC2 3.1%
- ONE 2.6%
- ABC News 24 1.1%
- ABC3 0.9%
- SBS 2 0.6%
- NITV 0.2%
Ratings data is copyright OzTAM and may not be reproduced, published or communicated without the prior written consent of OzTAM.
Megan Reynolds
Pedant alert – but please Mumbrella, it’s “first anniversary” not “one-year anniversary”. Anniversary means the yearly recurrence of the date of a past event, so it’s first, second. third, etc anniversary of that date. I’ll shut up now.
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It is no secret why Wake Up and Studio Ten are not rating well. They’re simply not very good shows. I normally have complete faith in Adam Boland, however his usual signature style appears to be completely missing from either show. Making matters worse is that this team was not put together in the last 4 weeks. They’ve been working on this project now for much of the year. How have they not gotten it at least partly right? They were meant to hit the ground running when the shows finally launched in November. Instead, both shows appear to have merely hit the ground. Splat. Very sad.
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A wasteful disaster – Wake Up.
Why didn’t they invest in primetime and at least try and gain some return rather than follow a whimsical theory of “we can beat Seven & Nine at their own game”. $20m that was wasted.
Ridiculous management and strategic agenda !
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I was ready to like it, to embrace, really I was (because I don’t think the other two are outstanding, by any stretch).
But it’s just awful.
Who is that bogan woman who’s desperately trying to add the ‘common touch’ to the show?
Fail.
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Poor ol’ Ten. I do feel for them, but it’s still not enough to make me watch rubbish on TV in the morning.
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Should have used the $20M to bring in great talent and a magical set designer. Coffee, News, Current Affaires and a little light humour. That’s all. That sets me up for the day…
They’ve over-thought and under delivered
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I’m with you Robbo, I was looking for something different to the beige of 7 & 9 and I like Jimmy (or Matho as he’s never been called before), but Wake Up just didn’t deliver anything fresh. It’s like they stopped thinking about the show as soon as they got the beach location. The two times I’ve watched, Bogan tash/tarsh has appeared very uncomfortable.
If you wanted to differentiate yourself, why not do the show from Melbourne – at least then you could play off the Sydney thing and pretty much guarantee and a foundation audience of Victorians and maybe breakfast is the one slot they should give to Roving seeing as half the Token talent have done brekkie radio.
They can’t keep it going at 15k audiences, but also can’t be seen to quickly ditch another show – tricky.
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I’ve never understood the hype around “wunderkind” producer Adam Boland. His contribution to culture has basically been the Cash Cow. Ten should probably stick to playing Scooby Doo during breakfast. Much cheaper and would rate significantly better.
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I’m with Robbo – I, too, was ready to embrace and like the show (Wake Up, not so much right-wing mouth piece Studio Ten with the abhorrent and annoying, pun-inducing Joe Hilderbrand). But as he so eloquently puts it, the show truly is awful. In between the many boring moments are cringe-worthy moments that aren’t even funny. They’re just plain hard to watch. I simply don’t understand how a show that has been in the making for so long (and following the epic fail of Breakfast a year earlier) can be THIS bad right off the bat. There is simply no excuse. None at all. Ten are a good, much loved network who have continue to show they have desperately lost their way.
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Given that most folk are out of the house and on their way to work/school//uni etc by about 7.30am weekdays, it is hardly surprising the stats are low. Not only is the show trite but the only people at home for most of it are the retired and the unemployed and really, what does it have to offer these demographics?
Just bring back CBS This Morning and be done with it.
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It took 4 years for Sunrise to beat Today at the ratings.
The morning times are ruled by habits structure, this will be a slow burn to achieve success, like years! I hope the bean-counters have some faith to see it through and not pull the plug to early. The set is fantastic, probably the main reason why I would tune in. Although the fake nick names do make me cringe.
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Why not a show about weather, food & fashion, they seem to be the BIG subjects in our place at “wake up time”
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I can’t wait for Lachlan to bring his management skills to daddy’s News Corp.
Should help sink that ship even faster.
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I don’t understand why Ten keep going right wing. Bolt, Steve Price on the project ( does he still do it? I stopped watching the show when I saw him), Hilderbrand. It’s not their audience and it doesn’t work in Melbourne. If ten can’t get viewers from the other morning shows they are in trouble. Watching television in the morning is a cultural thing. Some people will never ever do it.
I have never watched tv before midday in my entire life. I suspect a lot of people are the same. They need to fix prime time, stop using the same project/before the game/ this week live/ league of their own/ rotating cast and try something and somebody new. They should hire some writers for something. Less chat more story. People don’t switch over if the middle of a story.
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In breakfast television there is hit and there is miss.
This is miss.
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What’s interesting to me is that most people had predicted this show would fail to soar before it even aired. While normally there is only lots of wisdom in hindsight after a show tanks, I for one did not hear a single person say that they thought this was a good on air team in the weeks leading up to its launch.
Natarsha Belling is the only one of them who has any business being anywhere near a TV screen, and even she should be confined to second banana status a la Natalie Barr.
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They need to get Shaun Micallef on the couch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_p37bHdCM4
Seriously, when is someone going to call out young Murdoch as the problem behind all this? Sack Grant, Sack James, How long has Hammer got to go?
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The chemistry on this show is awful only two of the three look comfortable. I don’t understand Ten’s desire/strategy to compete in this space without some credible talent. Like many have said before either go for a different audience ( under 40’s working , aspirational, travel) or go back to Peppa pig and BEN 10.
Why not team up with Kyle and JACKIE O and run a cross platform Broadcast, I hear they are looking for a new opportunity. (only problem is Kyle couldn’t get $4m in TV).
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I think if the camera moved angles slightly just showing manly beach and the waves they could pick up more viewers , perhaps some mellow music in the background to add ambience…
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Obviously nobody at ten was paying attention when this old thespian said “get back to good television”
Start doing the old magic grind and produce good television. News, human interest, the gentle ease into the work day, and for goodness sake, remember two things.
(A) It is early morning for most people, and (B) You may be hosts of the show, but you are invited guests in the home of each and every viewer.
I know it’s not what you want, but it is a good place to begin.
It is from little things (not big brash smart arsed things) that big things grow.
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Hi Brett,
Actually, I personally did think it was a good team before it went to air. They rolled them out at a press conference a few months back, and there was good chemistry between them. James M (I can’t quite bring myself to call him Matho) was fast and funny. I’m not really seeing it between the three of them on screen just yet, but that’s not to say it won’t come.
My two penn’orth: Tash Exelby doesn’t yet have the flying hours and looks a little uncomfortable/ disengaged on the far left. That clearly comes with time though, so I wouldn’t write her off if the basic chemistry is right. I do find myself wondering what it would do to the dynamics with James M in the middle, instead of to the far right.
Sam Mac in the roving role is the breakout though. Funny, dry wit, slightly subversive, on brand for Ten.
Early days.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
It’s all about the casting, did they get the casting right???
And how is having Ita Buttrose catching a water taxi going to improve the ratings overnight for a network chasing a younger demographic.
Who is making these decisions?
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Hammer has done a good job in convincing the board that he has the answers and the past execs had the wrong strategy … so he has the luxury of time that Warburton didn’t have. The board seems incapable of critically analysing their own hires and decisions which also works in McLennan’s favour as they agree the issues were all at exec level.
As long as Ten doesn’t lose money and can at least pay back the interest on their loans he will stick to the same script that turnarounds take time and Ten is on the right track. It does seem that Ten is looking backwards to move forwards – Boland, Meakin, Working Dog, Roving etc … it desperately needs some fresh thinking as when you watch shows like Have you Been Paying Attention, The Project, League of their Own it does feel like you’ve returned to the late 90’s, early 00’s glory days of the network.
Wake Up isn’t terrible but it does lack that element that makes you want to tune in. Studio Ten seems to have more chance of succeeding but doubtful without a good lead in.
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There is some validity in the argument that breakfast viewers are creatures of habit, but this doesn’t mitigate the fact that the show has issues.
I believe they’re mostly made up out of interchangeable parts (aka the hosts and guests) rather than issues with the quality of the format, or marketing shortcomings.
With time, Ten could make a go of this. They need to be humble enough to realise where they’ve gone wrong and redirect asap though.
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They should have called it the Super Flying Fun Show and had an emu as one of the co-hosts.
Now that at least would have given them the 40 something audience on a plate.
Does anyone even know if Ms Marilyn was available?
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If THE PROJECT ( which is on at night) was also on in the morning as a breakfast show I would watch every morning. This would be a WINNER!!!!! News, humour and most importantly its different.
I’ll be waiting.
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Hi John Agee.
The project morning edition. Simple.
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Although its a roving show so may be to costly.
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Mass media. There is clearly a problem with the Ten morning show, yes? Mass media does not mean making contact with Catholic parishioners, it means making contact with many people.
The mistake is clear, and the problem is a simple one.
There is an old Russian folk tale of a Miller who carried his own flour to the market on his back, because the people along the way expressed sympathy for his donkey. He carried the donkey home on his back, because others objected to him riding it back after a long tiring day.
Nobody can please all people. Both mass media producers and the Donkey driving Miller, must aim to do there jobs in the best way possible.
Get the format right via simple good television, and stop trying to please individual audience age groups. Everyone wakes up, everyone goes to work , everyone says Good Morning.
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I cant believe the careless waste and disregard they have for a fantastic location with such clueless, banal, awkward presenters and “script”.
They may as well have used the car park basement at 10 headquarters.
The best guy is the one who is ACTUALLY outside , he is excited, witty and moving around.
Drop the troubled threesome, ditch that damn table, and shoot it all outside as much as possible.
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A few years ago, Network 10 had a good team and a great morning (not breakfast) show – perhaps they should revive some of The Circle concept and actually appeal to the parents and (shock/horror) children as they get ready for their days – statistically, they would do better to fish in waters just outside of the ones their competitors are using…
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@ jeanie
I believe you are right, but a few years ago Network 10 had people who understood the business of television.
It is not a hit and miss industry where there is the luxury of time to experiment, the show is on as soon as transmission begins and the content is everything.
.
You suggest that they may fish in waters just outside of their competitors, yes, but I say get the net right and you can fish anywhere for a bigger haul of many different fish.
The greedy pursuit of ratings and the mistaken notion that theatre is a joke and that corporate winners can produce television is at the base of their problems, but they are not the only problems and they seem to be gathering more as they go.
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I think the show is awful and that ten should not have tried to complete head-on with nine and seven. To challenge the morning dominance of the others you have to be different – but not radical. To be honest, I’m with “Moo” – Scooby Doo and cartoons (not spongebob – no yelling 1st thing in the morning) to start the day is what I seek. You also don’t need kids targeted host yelling at you ala ABC3.
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Channel 10. What is there obsession with breakfast television? They had a Good format with the original Good Morning Australia in the 80s and early 90s. This is something they should have kept. They changed the format with Bert Newton and were the pioneers of selling products in the show with “info mercials”. . Perhaps they should have bought back something familiar in the title like Good Morning Australia. There is nothing wrong with not having a breakfast television show. 10 was the only network dedicated to morning cartoons and kids television for many years. Was this a bad thing? Wake Up and Studio 10 will not last the end is near. Another failure to add to the embarrassing flops that the network continuously has. “Dare to be Different” is what they should be going for. Looking at what the other two networks don’t have anymore.. a soap opera or two!
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I’m giving this show a go and pleased they’ve reduced the hosts from 3 to 2. Love the beach backdrop each morning too…much better than endless eggheads waving in the street behind the Sunrise hosts and then on their mobiles letting their friends know they’re on tv. Wake Up isn’t that bad, they just need time to find their feet. I remember The Project having a slow start too but its become popular.
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