Surprise Today shake-up as Nine makes changes in breakfast TV

Nine’s ailing breakfast show, Today, is making changes to its line-up, just weeks after it was trumped in the ratings by ABC News Breakfast.

There has been a significant changing of the guard at Nine’s ailing breakfast show, Today.

But it isn’t Karl Stefanovic who has moved on, despite much speculation the host is set to depart the program when his contract runs out.

Executive producer James Birtles is heading to Sky News, with weekend executive Kendall Bora stepping in to the helm of the weekday Today show.

Coincidentally, Bora is married to Seven’s Weekend Sunrise host Matt Doran.

Today supervising producer Lesa De Re is going on maternity leave, too, with Michael Kersnovkse filling that position while she is away. Steve Burling continues as director of morning television at Nine.

Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon hosting the Today show on location at the Australian Open. David Geraghty / The Australian.

Matt Doran and Kendall Bora at Randwick Racecourse. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

It comes at an interesting time in the breakfast and morning TV market, where Seven has strengthened its team behind Sunrise and The Morning Show to ensure it ratings dominance continues.

Bora takes on the high-profile job at a difficult time, when Nine’s breakfast and morning offerings continue to be hit hard by rivals. Today was humiliated recently when ABC News Breakfast ratings trumped the once-number one breakfast show for a week running for the first time in 13 years.

Last week, Sunrise drew an average of 241,000 metro viewers, ahead of ABC at 195,000 and Today at 176,000.

At Seven meanwhile, industry respected Sean Power recently took over as EP of Sunrise while Chloe Flynn runs The Morning Show following Sarah Stinson’s promotion to director of morning television, overseeing both programs.