Natalie Barr’s promotion to Sunrise hosting, alongside David Koch, will protect breakfast show’s brand

The appointment of Sunrise’s longstanding news presenter Natalie Barr to the co-hosting chair will protect the brand of Seven’s top-rating breakfast show.

Natalie Barr pictured at her Sydney home on Saturday before starting her new role as Sunrise host alongside David Koch. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The appointment of Sunrise’s longstanding news presenter Natalie Barr to the co-hosting chair — vacated by Samantha Armytage last week — will protect the brand of Seven’s top-rating breakfast show, according to industry figures.

The 52-year-old’s promotion was widely expected following the departure of Armytage after eight years on the couch alongside veteran David Koch.

Armytage and Koch’s on-air partnership, overseen by executive producer Michael Pell and Seven’s news boss Craig McPherson, was a winning formula for the Kerry Stokes-controlled network against Nine’s Today and ABC’s News Breakfast for many years.

But TV insiders have told The Australian that they expect the appointment of Barr, who has been the show’s news presenter since 2003, should ensure a seamless transition and a continuation of ratings success.

Steve Molk, co-creator and senior editor at industry website tvblackbox.com.au, says the Sunrise brand is “much bigger” than any one person.

“Certainly, Sam has poured a lot of energy into Sunrise, and that’s evident for the fact that it continued it’s reign as the number one breakfast show,” he said.

However, a big part of the show’s winning formula has been David Koch, who has been with the show since 2002.

The 65-year-old, who began his media career as a financial journalist, is well liked by viewers and seen as well-informed and a safe pair of hands. Mr Molk says the appointment of Barr is “really smart because it keeps the Sunrise family happy”.

Barr has hosted Sunrise two days a week since last June after Armytage requested a lighter workload. She co-hosted with Koch on Mondays, and Armytage on Fridays. The mother of two teenage boys was also part of Seven’s US election coverage last November, reporting from Washington alongside the network’s US bureau chief Ashlee Mullany.

But Mr Molk said the network would be well aware of the need to keep Koch on the show.

“They’ll do everything they can to keep him happy so he doesn’t leave, even if he wanted to.”

A former Seven executive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said “Koch is the absolute strength of that joint”.

“I reckon the brand will survive because they’ve got Kochie there, they’ve got a well worked-out brand. Pell is good at what he does and the other person who is really good at what he does is (news boss Craig) McPherson,” he said.