Studio 10 cancelled just days after celebrating a decade on air
The long-running morning show will not be returning in 2024 as hosts Angela Bishop and Tristan MacManus film ‘hostage style’ video announcing the news.
Network 10 has cancelled its long-running morning show, Studio 10.
An all staff email, seen by The Australian, was circulated on Tuesday just after 11am announcing the decision to axe the show from next year.
“This decision comes after a change in viewing habits in daytime television. As a result we will be welcoming some members from the Studio 10 family into the news team. No news jobs will be impacted because of this change,” Network 10’s head of news Martin White said.
“In 2024 there will be a new morning line-up with an increased focus on news and current affairs later in the day.”
White added hosts of Studio 10, including Angela Bishop, Narelda Jacobs and Tristan MacManus, will “remain with the network” and other staff from the show will be “redeployed”.
Jacobs will continue to present the midday news. A new bulletin airing at 3.30pm will be debuted in the new year.
Studio 10, which celebrated its 10 year anniversary just weeks ago, will wrap up on December 22.
Hours after the internal memo, Bishop and MacManus filmed a video announcing the news on social media.
“It’s a tough day for the whole Studio 10 family, because we have loved bringing you the show for the last 10 years,” Bishop said.
“We’re all really proud to be part of it.
“To finish up, I’m going to pinch a quote: Don’t cry ‘cos it’s over, smile because it happened.”
Studio 10 was touted as Australia’s version of The View when it premiered in 2013 and landed many big interviews including exclusives with then Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
The star power of the original format is long gone with Ita Buttrose instead herding cats as the (outgoing) ABC chair, Joe Hildebrand putting cats among the pigeons on Sky New’s new Sunday panel show, The Sunday Showdown, Sarah Harris now helping course correct The Project and Jess Rowe making waves with her The Big Talk Show podcast.
“We were kind of the canary down the coalmine. Back then no one realised things like Twitter wasn’t real life, now we know it’s just a place for angry, one dimensional dickheads to have a whinge,” Hildebrand told The Australian recently as the original cast celebrated the 10 year milestone.
“In the real world you should have a bunch of different people who are all mates, yet disagree about some fundamental things while having a range of interests who are entertaining – if anything we probably need it now more than ever. We all agree the concept would totally work right now.”
The mid-morning show has struggled to capture an audience since Harris departed earlier this year. Some of the lowest viewership was recorded back in March when just 10,000 people tuned in.
There have also been broader issues with some of the Studio 10 cast as reported by The Australian.
Prior to the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum Network 10 newsrooms around the country were being “bombarded” with complaints about its coverage helmed by Jacobs.
Some of the claims of biased reporting suggested that Jacobs, a veteran presenter and co-host of The Point on NITV, was exclusively interviewing and airing commentary from the Yes campaign. Network 10 did not comment at the time.
Her interview during NITV’s referendum night coverage with No spokesman Warren Mundine is also now the subject of an investigation by the SBS ombudsman, after Mundine called the exchange “the worst interview” of the campaign.
Jacobs will return to host The Point and also front Network 10’s midday news bulletin in the new year.
The Australian contacted Network 10 for comment.
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