Fed: Pick a team and stick with it, says former Today co-host

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-2005
Fed: Pick a team and stick with it, says former Today co-host

By Amy Fallon, TV Writer

SYDNEY, Aug 8 AAP - Former Today show co-host Steve Liebmann says the Nine Network's
breakfast program does not need a new line-up.

However, the veteran journalist, who fronted the show for 20 years before retiring
in February this year, has urged the broadcaster to "settle on a format, settle on a team
and stick with it".

Rumours have plagued the morning program, currently hosted by Tracy Grimshaw and Karl
Stefanovic, since the beginning of this year, due to falling ratings.

Grimshaw and Stefanovic have struggled in the ratings against the Seven Network's Sunrise
hosts Melissa Doyle and David Koch.

There had been speculation that Grimshaw would be replaced with ABC newsreader Juanita Phillips.

Phillips, who is on maternity leave from the ABC, has since denied that she would be
moving to Nine, saying she is happy at the national broadcaster.

There has also been media speculation that Network Ten newsreader Jessica Rowe and
her husband, 60 Minutes presenter Peter Overton, had turned down an offer to take over
the show.

Today Liebmann said he had heard the rumours regarding a new line-up but had "no idea"

what was happening with the show.

"As for all the rumours, I know no more than you do from the papers," said Liebmann,
who began on Today in 1982 and will soon start work for three new Foxtel shows.

However, he couldn't see any need to replace Grimshaw and Stefanovic as hosts.

"I think the team they've got is terrific," Liebmann said.

"But listen, I'm out of it, so it's not for me to decide."

But Liebmann had one piece of advice for the network.

"The only piece of advice I'll give is settle on a format, settle on a team and stick
with it," Liebmann said.

He said "chopping and changing, especially in breakfast television" never worked.

"People become comfortable and familiar with a team. It doesn't matter who it is," he said.

"And if you keep chopping and changing that team you break the comfort factor."

He pointed out that Today's ratings were getting better all the time.

"I think and I understand their numbers are getting better ... if you look at the last
hour of the Today program against Sunrise, Today is winning again," Liebmann said.

He said part of this was due to the fact that the program had taken a harder approach
to news over Sunrise.

"Now it looks like they've come back to hard news content and it's starting to pay off," he said.

"I've always said to them - listen, we know what we do best and that's news.

"But others have different ideas."

A Nine spokeswoman "categorically denied" that a change in line-up at Today was pending.

She also pointed out that since former news man Anthony Flannery had joined the show,
Today had been winning the last hour and a half in Sydney over the past two months.

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