Karl Stefanovic set to lose Today hosting role as viewers tune out

THEY have stuck by their man in the face of a ratings slump and the two-year publicity disaster that has been Karl Stefanovic’s marriage bust-up, but a source reveals the embattled Today host is set to be replaced in the new year.

THEY have stuck by their man in the face of freefalling ratings and the two-year publicity disaster that has been Karl Stefanovic’s marriage bust-up.

Now, despite their official line that he is safe from the axe until his contract expires at the end of 2020, top-level sources at Channel 9’s Willoughby studios say the embattled Today host is officially “gone” and likely to be replaced in the new year.

It’s the oft-speculated boning that follows one of the most talked-about ratings capitulations ever seen at the network and, according to others close to the situation, may also see Today executive producer Mark Calvert bumped from his job in favour of an “engine room makeover”.

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Karl Stefanovic, pictured with co-host Georgie Gardner, will ‘likely’ be replaced next year, top-level sources have revealed. Picture: Julie Kiriacoudis

For now, however it is Stefanovic in the cross hairs, with Nine chief Hugh Marks tipped to move Stefanovic on this week — a move which one insider says has been on the agenda for several weeks.

However it’s understood Marks was reluctant to pull the trigger sooner as he did not want it to appear that he and other brass were reacting to the whirl of media speculation.

There has also been much hand-wringing as to what they now do with Stefanovic given the one-time Gold Logie winner and network golden boy is pulling in an annual salary believed to be just shy of $3 million.

Nine chief Hugh Marks was reluctant to let Karl go. Picture: Supplied

But there was one factor Marks and co. couldn’t argue with — the shocking ratings dive which began in September 2016 — the month Stefanovic was first pictured without his wedding ring — and ended last week with Today’s worst figures in 12 years.

In that time Stefanovic has been widely torched by viewers and media commentators for the handling of his divorce from his wife of 25 years Cassandra Thorburn and his upcoming remarriage to take place in December.

It was a display which appears to have cost Today a huge chunk of female viewers who, as media analyst Steve Allen bluntly puts it, ‘basically now think he is an arsehole’.

The way he handles his divorce with Cassandra Thorburn has been criticised by viewers and commentators. Picture: Getty Images

Several months later he moved on and started dating Jasmine Yarbrough. Picture: Instagram

He is set to marry his girlfriend Yarbrough in Mexico in December.

Karl was also embroiled in the Ubergate scandal involving his brother, Pete. Picture: Instagram

“And who could blame them really,” Allen told Sunday Confidential.

“Here you have his ex-wife who supported him and raised his kids and she’s left out in the cold while he is off with his younger girlfriend in various exotic locations on holidays every other week.

For Nine to think that there is any other reason viewers are off the show is, to me, just complete denial.”

The drop in female viewers is a sting that would be felt at market level according to another media analyst who describes how such a big drop in ratings would force the network to maintain its trading position with advertisers by offering “make goods” to make up for audience shortfall in the form of free adverts or — though it is rare — a refund.

‘Today Extra’ host David Campbell is one of the names being thrown around to replace Stefanovic. Picture: Christian Gilles

The other is Ben Fordham, who currently acts as fill-in host for the show. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“Given that TV is measured 24/7 and ratings are delivered the next day it does have the effect of harming a network’s yield as they have to potentially top up campaigns with no revenue increase,” says Moonlighting media analyst Ian Warner.

Contacted for comment, Calvert this week refuted claims Stefanovic was set to be dumped and even went as far as describing the embattled Today host as a “bloody great broadcaster”.

“We are the first to acknowledge our ratings are not as good right now as we would like,” he added.

Stefanovic’s manager Sharon Finnigan also denied her star client was a dead-man walking while the man himself declined to comment.

Meanwhile the list of possibly replacements continues to swell, with Today Extra host David Campbell said to be at the top of a list that also includes Today fill-in host Ben Fordham and Adelaide outsider Brenton Ragless.