Stefanovics’ exit could start a Today avalanche
Things have looked grim for the brothers Stefanovic ever since Ubergate. But now they’ve both been axed from Today, the show’s other stars should watch their backs too, writes Colin Vickery.
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Karl and Peter Stefanovic’s exits from Today could be the start of an avalanche.
That’s a spectre that would be haunting some of the stars at Channel 9 right now.
Karl will remain with the network, but will no longer front their flagship breakfast show.
Peter, his younger brother is gone after 15 years at the network amid reports that he was set to be dropped as co-host of Weekend Today.
Nine’s statement said that the network and Peter had “mutually decided to part ways” but plenty of people think there is more to the story.
Nine’s statement about Karl also claimed both he and the network had agreed together that “it’s time for him to step off the Today Show.”
But with 2018 a year both brothers might rather forget, it’s hard not to wonder about the claims these are amicable separations.
Let’s not forget they were at the centre of the notorious Ubergate scandal in March.
During a phone conversation, Peter reportedly told Karl that he “hated his job” and that his ideas being rejected by management was “sucking the life out of him”.
RELATED: Peter Stefanovic’s rise and fall at Nine
Fair to say Nine bosses weren’t happy at the time and one theory is that they have patiently waited until contract talks to cut Peter loose.
Meanwhile, Peter’s wife Sylvia Jeffries is also said to be about to step away from her gig as newsreader on Today, with a Nine source saying she’s been earmarked to host a new prime time show.
All of this movement would have to ring alarm bells for others at Nine, particularly the Today team, that a new broom might be about to sweep others up.
When the announcement about Peter was made, social media was quickly full of people commenting that Nine got rid of the wrong Stefanovic given Karl’s recent rollercoaster personal life.
But it must have been clear to Nine management it was a pipedream for Karl to think that his splashy Mexican wedding would be the start of a new phase of his personal and professional life.
MORE FROM COLIN VICKERY: Why Karl had to go
Cassie Thorburn has ramped up the criticism of her ex in recent days and eldest son Jackson has got in on the act calling the wedding celebration “s***” and revealing that he and younger siblings Ava and River didn’t attend.
The swirling soap opera that has haunted Karl for the past two years — and been a constant distraction to Nine management — was likely to continue, and possibly get worse.
Despite Karl getting the chop from Today, he has been kept on at Nine as the host of This Time Next Year but rumours persist he will part ways with the network altogether after that.
The other person in this mix is Nine CEO Hugh Marks who is on the record as saying that the production of Today needed to be better and sharper in 2019.
That is because Today is getting serious heat from rival Sunrise with ratings falling to ten year lows.
A fortnight ago, Mark Calvert, Today’s executive producer and Nine’s director of morning television stepped down. Steven Burling, who had been overseeing A Current Affair is now in charge.
What Burling has to work out is how much do you tinker around the edges to get Today back on track and how much do you make a clean sweep.
There is no doubt that Karl’s personal travails were part of the reason for the audience drop. What Burling has to consider is whether Georgie Gardner, Sylvia Jeffreys, Tim Gilbert, Richard Wilkins and Natalia Cooper need to take some of the blame.
Nine quashed reports on the weekend that longtime entertainment reporter Wilkins was in the firing line.
Sports presenter Gilbert would appear vulnerable because one of the biggest criticisms of Today is that it is too Sydney-centric with way too much coverage of NRL.
Cooper has forever been in the shadow of beloved former weather presenter Steven Jacobs.
Gardner has struggled to win viewers hearts after the shock departure of Lisa Wilkinson to Ten a year ago.
RELATED: Brenton Ragless favourite to replace Karl
Karl’s criticism of Gardner in the Ubergate call didn’t help. Viewers weren’t convinced they liked each other, which is ratings poison.
Jeffreys is Peter’s wife and was caught up in the Ubergate scandal too. That doesn’t bode well.
Now, it seems that it was no coincidence that Nine has been allowing media to do interviews with Karl’s summer replacement Brenton Ragless in recent weeks.
Ragless, Nine’s Adelaide newsreader has been promoted as a humble family man — the very opposite of the image that has dogged Karl in recent times.
Time will tell whether the Stefanovics’ departure is an isolated case or the tip of the iceberg. Right now I’m betting that most of the Today team would be feeling a chill.
Colin Vickery is a News Corp TV writer.
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