★★★★★ 0/5

9AM due for a lift

TEN has hired new producers to lift 9AM with David Reyne and Kim Watkins.

26
Leave a comment

Morning hosts David Reyne and Kim Watkins have been told to lighten and brighten up by executives at Channel TEN, claims the Sunday Herald Sun.

It is believed Reyne and Watkins have one more year of their contract left and have had no choice in the content and editorial changes.

9AM executive producer Sandy Patterson has hired producers from rival networks to initiate much shorter segments and lighter, pacier topics.

The show has long trailed its rivals on Seven and Nine, averaging between 60,000 – 85,000 viewers, but still pays its way with advertorials. Significantly, it doesn’t enjoy a lead-in audience like Sunrise or Today.

TEN spokespeople have always told TV Tonight the show was in no danger, and it has already been announced as part of the network’s 2009 line-up.

But the show is not without those who prefer it to Seven and Nine offerings. If you’re one of them, what is that you feel separates it from its rivals?

Source: Sunday Herald Sun

26 Responses

  1. I rather enjoy David’s blacker humour and I love the chemistry between the two hosts. I prefer their banter to any of their rivals, but do find the advertorials tedious. That being said morning shows aren’t exactly sit down TV, so if I’m home, I like having them on in the background.

  2. If I watch any morning TV it’s 9am, but more often I don’t bother with it lately, I agree with others, unfortunately (for him) I think if they got rid of David Reyne you would see a major ratings improvement. Kim Watkins is easier to wake up to than David Reyne who makes you want to go back to bed when his moody. The infomercials / advertorials are annoying it’d be good if they could try running with less at cost to them initially but if they can get more viewers then keep adverts predominately to the commercial breaks I think that would be a big winner, then they could charge form for ads during the breaks maybe? I’m glad they don’t have an annoying person for their advertorials like ch 7, if ever I flip over to ch 7 to see what they are doing as soon as I see his face I switch back to ch 10. I’d like to see a new set on 9am too. New logo, new image, new co-host (or no co-host?). :op

  3. A lot more intelligent content is only one of the more redeeming qualities of 9am,compared to the other offerings a general warmth flows from the two hosts.I have always considered Kim Watkins to not only be the most attractive female on Aussie Tv but also definitely the most multi-skilled and talented(her golfing and driving skills are unrivaled in Tv land).I must admit i was troubled by David for a while but now recognizing his obvious quirks and OCD i find him easily the most unpatronizing host on the box and in possession a very likable demeanor.
    I can only hope these flagged changes don’t interfere with the regular health and complimentary medicine segments a large percentage of this shows viewers stay loyal because of this and i worry if this is diminished to fall in line with perceived viewer stupidity more ground will be lost in the niche market it now commands.
    “Never try to teach a pig to sing it wastes your time and annoys the pig”

  4. Almost everything Seven News does is unbridled crap compared to the other commercial news services and the Morning Show is now exception – like fairy floss – all sugar and nothing of substance.

    Unfortunately that’s what viewers want, I suspect the people who would gravitate towards a more intelligent morning show don’t have much opportunity to be home between the hours of 9 and 11 each weekday.

  7. It really is the only bearable morning show on – I’m sick of being treated like a dumbass by the other networks. If only “intelligent” was a sought after demographic, then I’d watch a lot more TV – but instead “dumb and generic” seems to be the biggest demographic of all…*sigh*

  9. It is the more intelligent choice but I can see why they want to change it. Some of the segments seem to drag onnnnnnnn and they seem to ask the same questions over and over again. But it is still good to have a bit of variety, and change from the Morning Show fluff.

  12. David is way too cynical, and not really likable. But 9AM’s content is great, really topical, and I don’t think it’s boring at all. Someone should replace him – Stephen Quartermain, perhaps?

  13. Like James H, David & Kim actually entertains me.
    They interview folk well, have chemistry together and treat interviewees and the viewing public in a nice manner (aka that do not talk down to us like KAK & Seven)

    Please Ten – don’t dumb down the show just so the Meee generation or Text talkers can cope.

  16. I dont get it, i love 9am the way it is!! the reason i watch it is because its more mature and has stories that miean something to all of us. compared to 7 and 9 who are just jokers who have fun the whole ep. i watch 9am everyday and they are very happy esp kim! if they were to change anything it would be the show that leads in to 9am!!! give it something decent so it can actually rate! also change the looks of the studio.

  17. It’s the real issues/serious topics which seperate it but also drag it down and make it quite morose at times so i switch to KAK. Generally though I much prefer D&K they are likeable,down to earth and have great chemistry and the show is mostly fun and entertaining. If they could remove the serious stuff and have more stuff like Dicko’s music segment or Ann Marie it would be perfect.

  18. David Reyne is moody & arrogant and is just wrong for morning television on so many levels..Kim Watkins is lovely though, team her up with someone else and the show might have a fighting chance..

  20. I was just thinking the other day that at the least it needs a facelift. It’s such a dreary claustrophobic set.

    …that and David is so closed minded, sexist, homophobic and completely incapable of understanding the most simple conversations had on the program always reasking what the audience was made aware of 6 times in the past 10 minutes.

  21. Yeh david and kim is for the more intelligent viewer, they talk about real stuff, issues, people’s experiences and mix in the entertainment side. When you think about it, some of the stuff the morning show talks about is ridiculous.
    I guess this makes 9am boring, thus they gotta revamp

  22. Although I don’t watch much morning TV, 9am with David and Kim is far superior to what 7 and 9 offer. It is the only morning show that actually treats its audience with intelligence and respect. Plus David and Kim have a wonderfully honest chemistry that makes it an engaging show to watch.

  23. I think 9am does something the Morning Show and KAK doesn’t and that’s having proper serious and intelligent interviews some mornings.

    Unless something terrible is happening in the world Larry and Kylie tend to stick to fluff, fashion, and sex. And don’t think i’ve ever seen KAK do a serious interview (at least not without throwing to an infomerical).

  25. This show is so boring… but we all know that TEN only axes interesting shows. Sunrise is the best and i love waking up to it. It makes me laugh and i guess that’s a good thing in the morning.

    9am seems dull and i can’t believe they even bothered making a new site and forums for this show. Unlike Sunrise, 9am talk about boring topics and the set seems cold and unwelcoming to me. Sunrise’s set is interactive with people on the outside and it just seems way more friendly and bright.

    David, how much viewers do Sunrise and Today get?

Leave a Reply