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“No filler, only news” on 10 News First: Breakfast

Head of Broadcast News Martin White explains the strategy behind 10's newest bulletin, and commits to more news, not less.

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EXCLUSIVE:

This week there has been some attention on newly-launched bulletin 10 News First: Breakfast, including about early audience numbers.

10 maintains the 8am bulletin presented by Natasha Exelby (Melbourne) and Lachlan Kennedy (Sydney) has increased the 2022 timeslot average by 13% in its first week.

Martin White as Head of Broadcast News responds to questions from TV Tonight.

What’s the strategy behind the new Breakfast bulletin and why was it introduced?
MW: 10 News First: Breakfast bulletin was introduced so that we can deliver news to the weekday morning. No-one does a pure, half hour, news bulletin at that time of day. It also showcases our 10 News First brand and increases our footprint across the day, on a host of different platforms. Ours is a multi-platform strategy, firmly focused on the future of news content and 10 News First: Breakfast is just one facet of that. The great thing is that you can watch the bulletin from anywhere, as 10 News First: Breakfast airs live on 10, and is live streamed on 10 Play and on the 10 News First YouTube Channel. We also clip up stories from the breakfast bulletin each day to post on Facebook and Twitter.

What does it do differently to the other offerings at Breakfast?
MW: It’s purely just news. It’s what you need to know when you wake up and start your day. There’s no filler, only news.

How is it produced given it broadcasts out of both Sydney & Melbourne? Are there live crosses when news breaks?
MW: It’s produced in Sydney, and broadcasts out of Sydney and Melbourne. 10 News First: Breakfast covers all the latest headlines and breaking news, both nationally and internationally, and includes live crosses with journalists out on location and interviews with news-makers. As part of a global network, we are able to utilise Paramount’s extensive team of talented reporters to report on all the latest and breaking news.

Some reports claim early numbers are painfully low. Can you set the record straight?
MW: Those reports are exaggerated. It’s a work in progress and we’re happy with how it’s building. It’s still early days but there’s better to come, and it’s got a great and passionate team behind it.

How do you plan to build the audience?
MW: Increase awareness across all our platforms internally and externally, and drive more people to watch 10 News First: Breakfast. It’s a long term commitment for us and we know people will find us across our platforms and the numbers will build.

Is this a long term commitment for 10 News First Breakfast?
MW: Yes, 10 News First: Breakfast is a long term commitment. Our plan is to make more news, not less.

Studio 10 is no longer under News remit but how does it partner with News?
MW: The two production teams sit side-by-side in the newsroom and work very closely together.

15 Responses

  1. Weirdly, I must have been one of the 44.
    It’s just commercial news… but none of the obnoxious characters on the other channels, which is a draw for me.

  2. 8am is an odd time for a straight news bulletin.

    Outside of the “no filler” thing, not sure what he thinks the USP of the bulletin is. All the networks are doing everything else he mentioned.

    1. It may be a reflection of the fact that people are working from home more regularly after covid. If they are waking up at the same time every weekday to get dressed, breakfast etc they may find themselves with 15-20 minutes of free time at 8am before they are expected to start work, so pop the news on from time to time.

      For anyone going into an office everyday, I agree, they are unlikely to be watching television at 8am.

  3. Frankly I think there is a news over saturation. As others have stated there is constant news all day and then with “major breaking news” blanket all channels at the same time.
    I find I try to tune in on ABC weekends and they seem to now do an update before they dive into more detail. (This was a like a brief news bite & then I can linger if I want). But in the evening a short burst at Ch10 @5 suits me or I go to ABC news website to see what is making headlines.
    I do not know how people watch news for 90 minutes or more at a time!

      1. Ironically, the shows they seem to spend least on, HYBPA? and Cheap Seats are generally their highest rating. Some of their shows would not be cheap. I’m a Celebrity, MasterChef, Masked Singer, Amazing Race. Hunted? To be seen if it fires or dies.

  6. I watch channel 9 in regional QLD and from 4pm it’s 9 news Brisbane followed by Hot Seat at 4.30pm then 9Win local news 5.30 then 6pm 9 news from Brisbane again and then ACA ,I watch Hot seat from 5pm on 9now then the 6pm news.

  7. What’s the strategy behind 10 starting the news at exactly 8:03am, rather than 8:00am? Is it just me, or should news start exactly on the hour/half-hour?

    2. For a long time 7 has been starting at 5:58-5:59, rather than at 6.00. Back in the day, 7 & 9 used to start News at 6:30 precisely. Some stations showed a clock to display how accurate they were. Then 10 came along with their hour of news at 6:00 (precisely) and started to win the ratings. After some years that prompted 7 & 9 to move their news to 6pm. Next 10 moved to 5pm, so 7 & 9 started news bulletins at 4:30. Then one moved to 4pm, prompting the other one to move back to 4pm. All three once had a 10:30pm (precisely) late news (Seven Nightly News Anne Fulwood, Nightline, Ten News Sandra Sully). 10’s Sandra was, however, first to break the 9/11 attacks, with exclusive CNN. There were many other instances of follow-the-leader with news programs, all in the folly to be ‘first’. Now, ‘news’ is used as a filler in place of what used to be daytime entertainment in the 4-6pm block with repeats of last night’s ‘reality’ all afternoon. Oh for the old days.

  8. It has long been thought that the nightly news at 6 or 7pm is the time for news, and it still is. Then news became the lazy way to try to gain ratings and viewers.

    Now there’s the 4 o’clock News in addition to the late morning and late night bulletins, ABC News 24, an hour of news during Saturday morning Rage that wasn’t there before, even though it’s a redundant simulcast of ABC News 24, SBS World Watch and now 10 News First: Breakfast.

    I think viewers are becoming sick of news overexposure.

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