Long-running morning TV show under pressure
Only just over 60,000 people tuned in to Studio 10 in metro areas last week, leading some TV industry experts to question the show’s long-term viability.
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After recent cuts at Channel 10, attention is on the network’s long-running morning show Studio 10.
The Sarah Harris-led program had a measly 66,000 metro viewers tune in at its peak last week, compared to Channel 7’s The Morning Show with 233,000 and Channel 9’s Today Extra — 159,000 in the timeslot of 9.30am to 11am.
In March, ratings plummeted to 33,000 viewers and while the show has seen an improvement in recent months averaging 58,000 for the year, one industry source says Channel 10’s unwavering commitment to the struggling show is baffling.
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“The decline of Studio 10 has been extraordinary to watch. The show went from fan-favourite and media darling to a show no-one seems to care about any more,” the source said.
“You have to feel sorry for the original hosts who have watched it go downhill over the past few years after gaining so much ground.
“There’s a lot of chatter within the industry on how it is managing to stay afloat with the ratings as bad as they are. There’s no way advertorials can be getting a good return on their investment,” the source said. “It is good to see Channel 10 stand by the show though, as the last thing anyone wants is another program axed.”
The show, which airs from 8am-12pm, began in 2013 and the ever-changing panel includes Harris as host, Kerri-Anne Kennerley, Joe Hildebrand, Angela Bishop, Denise Drysdale and new addition Narelda Jacobs.
A Channel 10 spokeswoman said: “In a challenging media environment, it’s a really important time to be producing locally-made content, and no morning show delivers more live hours of television than Studio 10 on a weekly basis.”