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Changes behind the scenes at Today amid talk of tension

Former Nine News boss is being drafted in to work with Today show's producer as media reports on behind the scenes tension.

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2013-10-09_1718Is there behind the scenes tension at Today?

Some of the on air team from Today met with Nine’s Director of News and Current Affairs Darren Wick to “vent” about producer Neil Breen, according to the Australian Financial Review.

Wick’s own predecessor, Mark Calvert, will now be drafted in to support Breen just as he did for former Today boss Tom Malone.

TV Tonight understands Breen has been advised to moderate his temper, but is in no danger of losing his position, despite a dip in current ratings numbers. Until recently the show was fighting well against Sunrise but Seven has fared well with the introduction of Samantha Armytage.

Mark Calvert is almost certain to take a management role incorporating breakfast television and news roles at Nine.

11 Responses

  1. The Today program is just irrelevant. The presenters are mostly fake, insecere and unfunny. Wilkinson’s biggest mistake was jumping Weekend Sunrise to take up the with the Today show. Appartantly money and status are more important. As for Stephanovic, the less said, the better.
    The other point with Today is their regular gender imbalbnces. If Stephanovic is away, he is replaced by Gardiner. However, if Wilkinson is away, she is replaced by Gardiner. There was one morning when the only male on the presenting team was Richard Wilkins. Any wonder there is a lack of male talent at 9?

  2. It isn’t just Today and Sunrise which have gone off the rails in recent times, I have noticed a whole-scale dumbing down of the news – especially in the afternoon – since Nine introduced that moronic women’s news bulletin at 15:00 and Seven created that Ken and Barbie presentation to give Mel something to do whilst they waited for her contract to run out.

    The stories are much more fluffier, a whole lot of irrelevant crap is coming off the satellite from the US and making it to air whereas six or so months ago it would never have been used.

    It reminds me of how Weekend Sunrise destroyed the Sunday show – a Nine institution – by first dragging it downmarket before Nine was forced to axe it.

    I don’t bother watching TV since this wall-to-wall Claytons news started and I hope the summer break will force the TV bosses to go back to the previous news arrangements.

  4. Jonno, love your comment comparing this show to a ‘school playground’. Because that is what it is like – a group of boofheads sitting around and mouthing off like a pack of bogan yobs. Informative and entertaining long ceased to be important to this show.

    It is interesting that through the debacle this show has sunk to, the only one who has held her head high and remains a class act is Georgie Gardiner. Interesting to watch her recently – even she looks embarrassed by the antics of the rest of that team.

    Here’s what they need to do:

    1. Get rid of Breen. Today.
    2. Get rid of Karl. Yesterday.
    3. Let Fordham pursue his career as a Sydney radio shock jock, the only gig he is really suited to
    4. Let Lisa Wilkinson breath again
    5. Give her a decent male co-host to work with.
    6. Give Georgie Gardiner more to do.

  5. ABC Breakfast offers me all i need in the morning without filler, junk, Dickie and endless banter. Michael Rowland is such a gentleman and his gentle sparring with La Trioli is just enough.

  6. Breen and Karl are good mates. Karl seems to be more outrageous and totally unfunny.Is this because Breen is a product from the typical right wing shock jock school of comedy, that has produced such classic comedians as Alan Jones ?

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