Breakfast TV running over time, and no apology….
Why do Sunrise and Today run past their official finishing times? It seems neither cares about little white lies...
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
Breakfast TV shows Sunrise and Today have been running past their 9am endpoint for months now, with no sign of apology or adjustment.
Sunrise is the biggest offender, clocked last week at 14 minutes past its 9am ending, as set by the EPG. Today was also overtime at up to 6 minutes.
In the case of Sunrise it has two commercial breaks and a full segment after 9am despite any obvious breaking news. As a result The Morning Show starts up to 14 minutes late.
Last week TV Tonight monitored the finishing times for both Seven and Nine breakfast shows. Both indicated in the EPG they were wrapping at 9am.
Monday
Sunrise: 9:12
Today: 9:06
Tuesday
Sunrise 9:13
Today: 9:06
Wednesday
Sunrise: 9:13
Today: 9:05
Thursday:
Sunrise: 9:13
Today: 9:05
Friday:
Sunrise: 9:14
Today: 9:06
Sunrise strategically drops its clock in its final segment, perhaps to avoid reiterating just how late it is actually ending.
On Friday the Today show had a technical failure, and promised an upcoming segment with Lisa Marie Presley after 9am. But after 6 mins of ads the team never reappeared, with Sonia Kruger and David Campbell underway with Mornings.
TV Tonight asked both networks 3 questions about running overtime:
1) Why is (your breakfast show) running overtime on a daily basis?
2) What times does it plan to end this week?
3) Will the EPG accurately reflect true times moving forward?
Neither specifically answered but offered these responses:
“Sunrise’s out-time, much like its format and feel, is flexible and free-flowing. Breakfast radio works on a similar model. Few people have ever raised it as an issue.” – Michael Pell, Executive Producer, Sunrise.
“The show is live television and the duration varies. It flows into another live show so we merge them seamlessly for the audience.” – Nine spokesperson.
The constant lateness comes despite Programmers Angus Ross and Andrew Backwell at Seven and Nine telling TV Tonight earlier this year that EPGs would be striving for accuracy in 2014.
Studio 10 executive producer Rob McKnight recently suggested the ploy was to prop up Overnight numbers for both morning shows, which drop from their breakfast lead-ins.
“They see the minute-by-minutes as do I and they know it’s a desperate attempt to hang onto the audience that Sunrise delivers them,” he told TV Tonight.
“So the longer Sunrise goes over it boosts The Morning Show’s figures because it’s counted from 9am. Sunrise is on until 9:20. So there are 20 minutes of figures that The Morning Show is getting which is actually for Sunrise.
“But nobody’s ever going to call them out on it.”
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- Tagged with Studio 10, Sunrise, The Morning Show, Today
33 Responses
“Sunrise’s out-time, much like its format and feel, is flexible and free-flowing. Breakfast radio works on a similar model.”
Which ‘breakfast radio’? “Flexible” in that “Sunrise” runs to 9:13 every day. “Today” runs to 9:06 every day but ” the duration varies.”
This is like M$Hotseat starting at 5:25, 9 News at 5:58 and 7 News at 5:59 – every day.
Dr Rudi – with Resurrection the other night, I’d originally set the timer. Then I re-set it at around 6pm that night which pushed it back another 8 mins. I added 10mins at the end, and still missed the final few mins – where there was a massive twist I heard about which I had to google. They’re re-screening it Friday, so hopefully it’ll go to time – but I’ll set it for an extra 20 just to be careful. Considering how much Seven were publicising the show – and considering it wasn’t like it was X Factornon before – MKR is pre-recorded – I’m annoyed. Not good enough.
Off sick today so was watching Sunrise – I think it finished about 15-17 mins late.
I think most people are reasonable and can accept shows running up to 5 minutes overtime. And with breakfast TV it is also reasonable to have flexibility in the case of breaking stories that need to be followed. However we should not have to accept shows deliberately running overtime by 13 or so minutes for no reason. It shows absolute complete disrespect for the viewers who are trying to plan their viewing. The dismissive spin which were offered as “responses” to David’s quite reasonable questions just further highlight what little regard these networks have for us, the viewer.
Poor Rob McKnight. Must be sad to run a program nobody watches.
Dr_Rudi: We shouldn’t have to set the timer to start earlier and finish later. There should be at most about five minutes on either side of a show allowed for it to possibly start earlier or finish later. Our recorder goes by the guide to record which means I am recording three shows – the show that I want to record and the shows before and after it.
I reckon it’s because Larry Emdur is too busy getting his makeup done =P
Look, I’m sympathetic to the principle of the EPG being correct. That said, I can’t imagine the running overtime habit at 9:00am is bothering too many people.
Prime Time is another matter entirely, but who doesn’t set the timer to start early and finish late?
That’s why I stopped watching Kylie & Larry’s show.
It was forever late & I’m not a fan of David Koch!
So, I gave up!
All networks run overtime because they can. Unlike in days of yore, there’s no regulation whatsoever, they just do what they like – all in the name of supposedly getting an advantage over the others. Soon all programs will be running 30 minutes “late”. Only the 6.00 news starts on time, then it’s just a free for all. It’s pathetic.
I’m sure there are plenty like me who would rather see the beginning of a program, specially a drama, than the end – which is always predictable (except Rake). So I change over anyway – their ploys are lost on me. And I don’t watch breakfast TV.
And to Dave, The Project doesn’t consistently run over time, rarely if ever. As JM pointed out, they’re usually gabbling so’s to finish on time – a rarity these days.
Is it possible for TVtonight to go a day without a quote from Rob McKnight? The ‘human press release’ gets more airtime than any other person on TV these days, especially on this site.
LCDtv: I think we better have a recount? There have been two stories generated by me in the last month with quotes from Rob McKnight, both from the same interview. One as a Studio 10 feature and now this one. So that’s about 28 days by my count. I thought in this story it added some perspective as to what was going on so I was happy to include it. Otherwise an Australian Story and a Studio 10 Adelaide election story in Programming were Press Releases, incl. one from ABC. So that’s still 26 days sans quote. How is this every day?
Running a show overtime is disrespectful to the viewer and to the show following it. I don’t think the solution is for it to be reflected on the EPG because then shows will just run even later than they do. What is the problem with running a show on time?
Well we are fed the usual tv exec bs, no change there….
why worry about start finish time for anything on tv in the morning, better still just let the brekky teams rock up when they roll out of bed and bugger off when they have had enough, they can just make the schedule up as they go along. The epg should be revamped so the 3 letters ish can be added in, eg Sunrise 0557ish-0913ish
I think the issue is that if it’s consistently overtime, then why not just extend the program by that amount of time so the EPG is accurate.
Even in that small sample of a week, Sunrise basically finishes at 9:13 and Today at 9:06. It doesn’t seem so flexible/free-flowing when it ends around the same time each day.
Agreed. Don’t see any flexibility, I see determination. Shows can run until whatever time they like. Fix the EPG to reflect this. Simple.
“Duration varies”? that’s just a stupid thing to say. They used to finish at exactly 9am and now its suddenly “duration varies”?
I have noticed that The Project is consistantly running overtime by 7 or 8 minutes as well now.
“Sunrise’s out-time, much like its format and feel, is flexible and free-flowing. Breakfast radio works on a similar model. Few people have ever raised it as an issue.” – Michael Pell, Executive Producer, Sunrise.
An interesting approach to scheduling in the electronic media. I’m sure that if Alan Jones on 2GB decided to prattle on for an extra 15 minutes after 9AM Ray Hadley (and the station bosses) might be a tad upset.
What is the problem with this? Who do the networks need to apologise to? Running a few minutes longer than a guide is not going to hurt anyone! This is a non issue in my opinion, TV has far bigger problem than this.
Meanwhile ABC News Brealfast runs to the clock everyday.
If the EPG was accurate I wouldn’t have an issue with it.
Although it’s not very respectful to their respective ‘sister’ programs is it..
I don’t understand why other networks are fine running a little overtime…… But channel 10 always insist on running The Project right to the exact time. Half the time the presenters are yelling, speed reading and cutting segments off just to finish exactly on time. They were so late the other night they thanked their guests on twitter cause they didnt have time on screen.
This is a bit of a non-issue. It’s not like anyone sits in front of a TV eagerly waiting for The Morning Show to start at 9am.
Interesting responses from 7 & 9…they never used to have a problem finishing at 9am. To the point that they were rushing to say goodbye to viewers before the switch over to The Morning Show & Mornings.
Thanks for following this up David because it’s been annoying the hell out of me. If they updated the EPG it wouldn’t be a problem. They should have Sunrise in the EPG as finishing at 9.15am because I can’t remember the last time it finished anywhere close to 9am. Also it’s a bit pathetic for Rob McKnight to say it’s a desperate attempt to hang onto the audience given TMS usually triples Studio 10.
Has anybody noticed Wake Up always finishes on time.
Since 7Two started showing reruns of Harry’s Practice in the morning, Home and Away Early Years has been starting up to 4 mins late everyday. Because I PVR it, it hasn’t bothered me. Sometimes they update the EPG but not always.
Each week I go through the EPG and set shows to record, then each day I have to go back to the EPG and reset the recording to the ‘new’ late time. We should not have to do this. If there is no live TV or breakaway content, then shows like Cowboy Builders should remain at 10:30pm and not sudenly 10:46pm.
Nothing wrong with Sunrise and Today going longer or overtime
I actually love it !
The last 5 /10 minutes are usually when the presenters let their pretence down and just start having fun with their audience.