‘The results will come’: Nine boss continues to back Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon and claims he’s ‘not bothered’ as ratings for show drop to a new low
Despite Karl Stefanovic‘s much-anticipated return to breakfast TV, the Today show recorded its lowest ratings of 2020 on Thursday, with a paltry 171,000 metro viewers tuning in.
But Channel Nine’s head of news and current affairs, Darren Wick, says he has faith in his new look panel ‘finding its rhythm’ among viewers.
Backing Karl and co-host Allison Langdon as ‘the right team’ for the job, Wick told The Australian on Monday: ‘Hand on heart, I’m not bothered by the ratings.’
‘The results will come!’ Nine boss has backed Today hosts Karl Stefanovic (right) and Allison Langdon (left) and has claimed he’s ‘not bothered’ by the recent ratings dip against Seven’s rival program Sunrise
The metro ratings measure TV viewers across five capital cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
The recent results consistently show Nine’s rival Sunrise ahead of the pack when it comes to viewer retention in metro and regional audiences.
However, Wick said: ‘What we’re (Nine/Today) doing now is trying to get Australians to watch it again. The results will come. But the show is still finding its rhythm; we’re not even two months in.’
Prepared for a long and bumpy road to ratings glory, he added: ‘It would be naive for us not to imagine it will be a tough journey to win viewers back.’
‘We’re not even two months in’: Nine’s head of news and current affairs claims he has faith the new-look panel ‘finding its rhythm’ among viewers in time and is confident ratings will improve
Struggling to keep up: The recent ratings results consistently show Nine’s rival, Seven’s Sunrise, ahead of the pack when it comes to viewer retention in metro and regional audiences. Pictured (L-R) Sunrise’s Natalie Barr, Samantha Armytage, David Koch and Mark Beretta
Karl was famously axed from the program in December 2018 after 14 years of hosting the long-running TV show.
His departure was effective immediately, with Wick reportedly saying it was ‘time for him to step off’, The Guardian claimed at the time.
The announcement came shortly after his wedding to Jasmine Yarbrough, 36, amid growing scrutiny surrounding his personal life.
‘Thanks to our viewers mostly, you are what matters most. It’s been a tough time. Thanks for hanging in there,’ Karl said in a statement after the announcement of his departure.
Rock bottom: In November 2019, with Deborah Knight and Georgie Gardner at the helm, Today suffered its worst ratings ever, hitting an all-time low of just 155,000 metro viewers
In November 2019, with Georgie Gardner and Deborah Knight at the helm, Today suffered its worst ratings ever, hitting an all-time low of just 155,000 viewers across five capital cities.
That same month, it was announced Deb and Georgie would be departing the program, with Karl returning once again alongside Allison.
‘Yes, I am as shocked about this as everyone else. It’s not something that I thought would come up again,’ Karl told The Sydney Morning Herald in November, upon hearing the announcement of his return.
Marching orders: Karl was famously axed from the program in December 2018, after 14 years of hosting the long-running TV show
