Wake Up fails to alarm Ten rivals

THE breakfast television revolution was not televised as promised.

THE breakfast television revolution was not televised as promised.

The launch of Network Ten's much-hyped new breakfast program Wake Up failed to bring the "change" to a staid breakfast format.

Rival television executives were relieved the content on the new program didn't match its camera-friendly and unique setting, overlooking Manly beach from the renovated Queenscliff Surf Live Saving Club.

Rivals and media buyers were more interested in the new program that followed, Studio 10 hosted by Sarah Harris and starring Joe Hildebrand, Ita Buttrose and Jessica Rowe.

On first showing, Studio 10 is more likely to make a dent in the multi-million dollar advertising market in early mornings against Nine's Mornings and Seven's The Morning Show.

But Network Ten's Wake Up has already made a dent in the $100 million breakfast television market dominated by Seven's Sunrise and Nine's Today. Only ratings figures into mid-next year will tell whether the advertisers will remain.

The first ratings figures are due this morning and Wake Up will struggle to dent the last week's average audiences for Sunrise (404,000) and Today (314,000). But anything above 60,000 viewers will be seen as a viable start from which to build.

Ten's director of morning television Adam Boland said both shows had a "solid start" but there was "always room for improvement."

"There were things that clearly didn't work that we will fix," he said. "There were things that did work that we will do more of."

The immediate positives were few beyond being an improvement on Ten's derided 2012 Breakfast, co-hosted by New Zealander Paul Henry. Roving reporter Sam Mac was energetic but the chemistry between hosts Natarsha Belling, Natasha Exelby and a cross-armed James Mathison was weak and the content was thin.

Both Today and Sunrise churned through more topics, news items and guests than the self-referential Wake Up, which preferred to rely on social media interaction and opinions from the three hosts and a "guest tweeter" rather than from experts.

The issue with the remote location from Sydney's CBD was also displayed with musical act Eskimo Joe closing the show in a pre-recorded segment.

Both Sunrise and Today took the competition seriously; Sunrise hosted a Katy Perry concert last week, delivering its best audience of the year, and Today launched a cash giveaway and yesterday revealed a new set with hosts Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson back behind a desk and cooler blue backdrop.

After deriding the cash giveaways, Ten's Wake Up also announced a $1 million cash giveaway while Studio Ten gave away a car to an audience member.

"Viewers now have an alternative and with their help, we will now build some shows that suit their needs," said Ten's Boland.