Breakfast TV rumour mill in overdrive

Brekkie TV is always a minefield of rumours.

What’s one person earning? Who wants to quit for prime-time? Who is being head-hunted?

Very often such rumours become prevalent as contract negotiation time nears. It helps to put a few doubts into the media so as to up your net worth with management. Sometimes management play the game too, eyeing the opposition so as to unnerve one of their own.

With TEN’s Breakfast having now lost two key players in Andrew Rochford and producer Majella Weimers, the rumour mill is in overdrive.

Today the Daily Telegraph reports Adam Boland’s role as Weekend Sunrise producer has been advertised internally, with his contract at Seven currently set to end in November.

Boland has been busy with his pet project, re-establishing Ginseng Baths to Sydney, but The Australian reported it was on hold due to financing.

While he is a close former colleague of TEN CEO James Warburton, Boland is unlikely to be enamoured by another breakfast TV role unless it offered a wider network role.

Meanwhile rumours even speculate that Sunrise exec producer Michael Pell could be courted by TEN.

Last week at a 10th birthday luncheon for the show in Melbourne, Pell was cheerfully boasting about the achievements of the Seven team to media.

Offers would definitely work in his favour when his own contract expires in November, but it just doesn’t make sense for him to move from the top-rating breakfast show to one that isn’t even on the radar yet.

Lastly, TEN’s David Mott is an on-the-record admirer of Today, headed by Tom Malone.

None of this logic and bluster will prevent more rumours and red herrings from emerging in weeks to come.

There’s a lo-o-o-o-ng way to go yet……