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Melissa Doyle leaving Sunrise for primetime

Melissa Doyle will front an unnamed news initiative for Seven, to be replaced by Samantha Armytage.

2013-06-20_0925Melissa Doyle will exit Sunrise to front a new, prime time news initiative for Channel Seven, after 14 years.

Doyle wrote, in part, on the Sunrise site:

“For nearly 15 of the past 17 years, my alarm clock has gone off at 3.15am. I’ve spent three quarters of my professional life doing breakfast television. And I’ve LOVED every minute of it.

“I’ve been offered a great opportunity to front a new, prime time Network News initiative. I decided it was time to take on a new challenge and so it is with great sadness that I announce I will be leaving Sunrise.

“I can honestly say that the team I’ve worked with at Sunrise over the last 12 years in particular have been like a second family. You cannot spend your working hours with people you don’t like or respect and you cannot fake the camaraderie, respect and empathy we all have for each other. And that includes all the on-air and off air team that work to put this show together each day.

“I don’t want to list all the people I’d like to thank for their help and support – but I do want to thank Kochie. He’s been my partner, supporter, confidante, and friend. I’ll miss working alongside him each day.

“So whilst its goodbye from breakfast television, its not goodbye from Seven. I’ll be part of new and exciting programs in the not too distant future. And I cannot wait.

“Thank you to each and every viewer who tuned in each morning – for laughing with us, laughing at us and turning to us for your morning news fix.”

Doyle has been the co-host of Sunrise for 14 years – nearly 12 of those alongside David Koch.

“Mel is a very special person to me and it’s been a privilege to work with her and share so many experiences. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am for her,” said Koch.

CEO Seven West Media, Tim Worner, said: “Melissa’s contribution in establishing Sunrise as Australia’s leading breakfast program has been outstanding. During her tenure on Sunrise, she has helped redefine breakfast television. Her professionalism, wonderful warm nature and sharp journalistic skills make her perfectly equipped for the next phase in her career here at Seven.”

Doyle will remain with Sunrise for several weeks. From Monday she will take a 2 week planned break before heading to London to cover the Royal birth and will return until the launch of the unnamed program.

Rumours about moves to primetime have persisted for years, though none in recent weeks. The move also comes at a time when the breakfast TV landscape will see a new entry from TEN under Doyle’s former boss, Adam Boland.

Samantha Armytage, who has fronted Weekend Sunrise for six years, will be the new co-host of Sunrise.

35 Responses

  1. Sorry! I should have watched the announcement before commenting.

    This sounds like more than TT… My new prediction:

    6pm – World News (including national stories)
    6:30pm – Local News (including TT stories)

  2. TT Sydney with Mel, some more news focused stories and tighter integration with the news (ie some studio banter and inclusion of TT stories when talking about what’s coming up) should strengthen their position between 6-7pm in Sydney.

    But the real issue is their 5:30pm programming. Can we please have Wheel of Fortune back?

  3. Who will replace Sam on weekend sunrise?

    I will miss Mel. Her smile and laugh and she is a really nice person. But Sam is a good choice.

    Watch stupid womans day put out a story about how she is leaving because of conflict with Kochie, like a few months back, which we all know wasnt true.

  4. From watching the video, its seems like she is taking a lead anchor type position. Mel says that 7 is expanding its news. A national news bulleton coving national, and international news stories seems like the direction they are taking. For some unknown reason national news bulletins have been non existent except for the failed attempt 6pm on ten which was in the wrong timeslot. National bulletins however are evident in most countries and allow the local stations to use their airtime for local stories with the national bulletin providing increased coverage of national and international news.

    This would also mean regional viewers wouldn’t have to watch a replay of Sydney news (no one in Wagga cares about the north west rail link) for national news.

  5. Those rumours have been circulating for years, good on her. Perhaps those rumours about Sunday Night getting the axe are true as well? If they continue with the naff celebrity interviews and non-current news stories I’m sure it’s a matter of time before the bean counters hover the axe.

  6. First off congrats to Mel. She is a brilliant host and love her on Sunrise. She’s done an amazing job and i think will be a great asset to what Seven have for her next.

    Heres what i think will happen. Seven News will extend for an hour, TodayTonight will move to 5:30pm to try and help fix the ailing timeslot and it will sort of be like extended Sunday Night style reports and stories initiated into the news. Thats what i think will happen but could be wrong. The only thing is local news might have to shift to 5:30pm in regional areas if this was to happen. That is why extending Seven News for an hour could be tricky but i don’t see why it couldn’t happen.

    Good luck to Mel and wish her all the best. She will be missed from Sunrise and Sam is a pretty decent replacement.

  7. Congrats to Mel and I hope all works out OK for her and her family, and sincerely hope that its not the typical way some ruthless managements break up long term pairings without all the associated flack from viewers, I wonder if David Koch still has the clause in his contract, saying he would only stay on at Sunrise while ever Mellisa Doyle was his co-host?.

    Sad to see that Samantha has been anointed, mainly because it comes across to me that she is so out of touch with the average viewer and our lifestyle demands, as it seems to me she is still in the world of those who have had a very pampered and spoilt upbringing, that she has yet to leave behind, unfortunately she will be a good side kick for David Koch for some very obvious reasons, if going on their previous combinations is any guide, and in fact its because of Sam being so far out of touch, its the very reason I no longer watch weekend sunrise.

    @smit0847

    Hamish McDonald, a perfect replacement choice for David Koch, yes but for all the wrong reasons!

  8. with the news rumours at the end of last year, i always like the idea of TT moving to 5:30 and a national ‘news based show’ at 6:30. i think Mel would be great for that.

  9. I can’t see Mel going from Sunrise to TT. I agree that sunrise needs a face lift regarding the cast.

    I would assume moving to something like TT would offer a huge pay cut. something I don’t think Mel would want.

    Sam is a poor choice to replace Mel. she is boring. bring in some new faces and create a fresher sunrise.

  10. You only have to compare the ratings for Seven and Nine from 6-7pm to see that Seven have to try something different. Up till now, everything else hasn’t worked.

    1. In my view, the wording of “initiative” rather than “project” from Seven is actually a pretty good nod towards an extended Seven News. I’ve dropped the word “project” and stuck to their wording.

  11. I’m hearing reports that Seven might just revert back to its 1 hr news format with Melissa Doyle teaming up with Matt White in Sydney and Peter Mitchell joining with Helen Kapalos here in Melbourne.

    Chris Bath a possibility for Weekend Sunrise? Interesting times ahead.

  12. i would be disappointed if they made any changes to their 6:00 news hour before they dumped DOND. dumping DOND is the first measure, then if that doesn’t work start trying changes to the news/caff.

    Mel is a fantastic talent, i’ll vote for her gold logie next year, i mean, if Karl can do it…

  13. Mel moves to Primetime…What does that mean exactly? The end of local bulletins? The end of TT? And what does it mean for Chris Bath, Sharyn Ghidella and Helen Kapalos? It would be a bit rough on Helen. Shafted from TEN and barely had a chance to keep the TT seat warm…

  14. According to wikipedia, she’s listed as a presenter on the yet to be announced 2013 series of Dancing With The Stars
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_with_the_Stars_(Australian_TV_series)

  15. Wow, was really shocked when I saw the announcement earlier today. Mel will be missed on Sunrise, but Sam will be great. Good luck to her on her new project. Curious what it is. Don’t they have enough news shows on at the moment? Thought Sam might be her replacement as she just filled in for her when she went to Mongolia recently.

  16. I reckon Sam will be great in the role. Now if only Kochie would retire, than the show might actually become watchable .

    My bet is that Melissa will either front a Syndey version of Today Tonight or more likely a new Late News service for Seven.

  17. Samantha is not a good choice.She never really radiates a “happy” feeling..she always seems quite self centred and she’s not naturally witty.

  18. Wow. Thats pretty big news. Surely Mel would be a good host for Sunday Night?

    I was actually watching Sunrise this morning and couldn’t help but notice how tired the format was. Kochie and Mel have been hosting for far too long (12 years!!), and seem so hopelessly out of touch with younger viewers. There’s something about a middle-age financial advisor interviewing Justin Bieber that doesn’t seem quite right.

    I’m not sure Sam is the most inspired choice as she’s just a slightly younger version of Mel Doyle. I do know she was extremely popular on DWTS as she a very ‘real’ woman but it doesn’t really freshen the format. I think Kochie should move on to and have someone much younger like James Tobin replace him. 7 should have snapped up Hamish McDonald – he would be a perfect replacement choice for Kochie.

    David – do you think the Sunrise line-up needs refreshing?

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