{"id":77308,"date":"2025-08-18T11:31:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T11:31:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/77308\/"},"modified":"2025-08-18T11:31:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T11:31:09","slug":"seven-managed-to-win-every-week-in-breakfast-and-morning-tv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/77308\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven managed to win every week in breakfast and morning TV"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Seven Network<\/a> has maintained its stranglehold on Australian morning television in 2025, with Sunrise<\/a>, Weekend Sunrise and The Morning Show all finishing every week of the year so far at #1.<\/p>\n

Now, Mediaweek has gone behind the scenes with Jake Lyle, Executive Producer of Sunrise, and Chloe Flynn, Executive Producer of The Morning Show, to learn what keeps the shows at the top of the breakfast and morning slot year after year.<\/p>\n

\"(L-R)<\/p>\n

(L-R) Sunrise EP Jake Lyle alongside hosts Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington.<\/p>\n

Jake Lyle, Executive Producer, Sunrise<\/p>\n

Mediaweek: You\u2019ve been with Sunrise for just over 18 months. Still, you\u2019ve inherited a breakfast show with 22 years of dominance. How do you contribute to evolving the format without disrupting a formula that\u2019s working?<\/p>\n

Lyle: The success of Sunrise has been built on years of hard work from an incredible group of people, and it\u2019s important to keep those foundations in place to maintain strong results. But as we know, the landscape is changing fast, and if you\u2019re not constantly adapting and innovating, you\u2019ll get left behind.<\/p>\n

Mediaweek: When a program has such a long lead over competitors, is the bigger challenge innovation\u2026 or avoiding complacency?<\/p>\n

Lyle: We\u2019re grateful to our audience for tuning in every day and putting us in the position we\u2019re in, but you\u2019ll never hear us popping the champagne. It\u2019s a constant hustle. We\u2019re always thinking of new ways to improve.<\/p>\n

Mediaweek: What\u2019s your process for deciding what leads the program each morning? How do you balance breaking news, live crosses, and lighter lifestyle or entertainment segments?<\/p>\n

Lyle: It comes back to what we think is the most important thing to our viewers, and making sure they get the most important and up-to-date information to kick off their day.<\/p>\n

In terms of a process (with our instant coffees in hand) the team and I will sit over the morning newspapers, overnight police reports, and the latest from our overseas bureaus to build that bulletin.<\/p>\n

The important thing is to be ready for anything, and to be fully prepared to throw out the rundown and start from scratch if major news breaks.<\/p>\n

Mediaweek: How do you ensure the show\u2019s personality-driven moments feel authentic rather than manufactured?<\/p>\n

Lyle: You can\u2019t fake a real moment, and if you try the audience will see straight through you. Spontaneity is one of the greatest things about live TV. Whether it\u2019s a quirky guest, a slip up on a script, or a story you didn\u2019t think was going to make you cry. It\u2019s what makes a show like Sunrise so great. But it\u2019s not something you can plan for or manufacture.<\/p>\n

Mediaweek: Rival breakfast programs have tried multiple format changes over the years to close the gap. What\u2019s your read on why Sunrise\u2019s formula continues to resonate where others have faltered?<\/p>\n

Lyle: I reckon it\u2019d be a mistake to assume there\u2019s a \u2018winning formula\u2019, or that we\u2019ve figured it out, but at the end of the day it comes down to the content, how it\u2019s delivered and who\u2019s delivering it.<\/p>\n

Mediaweek: Looking ahead, what do you see as the next significant disruption to breakfast television, and how is Sunrise preparing for it?<\/p>\n

Lyle: I\u2019d love to look into a crystal ball and see what the next few years of TV looks like, but we\u2019re just doing our best to prepare for anything.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve already started to adapt.<\/p>\n

Just this month we kicked off an Australian TV first, with a TikTok livestream from behind the scenes of the show, at the same time Sunrise was broadcasting live on air.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot of talk about AI throwing a spanner in the works, but when that happens, it\u2019s industries that focus on human connection that will become more important.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Morning Show EP Chloe Flynn<\/p>\n

Chloe Flynn, Executive Producer, The Morning Show<\/p>\n

Mediaweek: Eighteen years at #1 is extraordinary. What\u2019s the secret sauce that keeps The Morning Show not just relevant, but dominant in a market where audience attention is splintering?<\/p>\n

Flynn: At 18, the show is finally entering adulthood! But like any teenager coming of age, we may look a little different (and have a few mood swings thrown in for good measure), but our core is fundamentally the same.<\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s striking that balance of keeping pace with changing viewer habits and interests, while protecting the essence of the brand, that gives audiences the reassurance that while we\u2019re reliable and trusted, we\u2019re not stagnant.<\/p>\n

Mediaweek: You stepped into the EP role in 2022. How has your leadership style evolved the format without alienating the loyal audience?<\/p>\n

Flynn: Leadership absolutely begins with having the right team in place, and I\u2019m privileged to work with a talented group of people who all bring something unique to the table.<\/p>\n

Secondly, we foster an environment that encourages creativity and collaboration, debate and discussion, but it\u2019s up to me to be very clear on the identity and direction of the show so that everyone can operate within defined parameters.<\/p>\n

Morning television is habit-driven, so it\u2019s important for any changes to be gradual and feel organic, rather than coming in and overhauling everything just for the sake of it. I like to think of it as a bit of botox here and there rather than going in for the complete facelift.<\/p>\n

Mediaweek: In a ratings climate where fluctuations are common, what\u2019s your approach to maintaining consistency week in, week out?<\/p>\n

Flynn: Ratings are important, but they can also be a distraction.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re first starting out, it\u2019s easy to jump at shadows and question your decisions based on one bad ratings day, when realistically, there\u2019s a whole host of reasons why that could\u2019ve happened, not just the story you decided to put at 9.43am.<\/p>\n

I think as a leader it\u2019s important to stay focused on the bigger picture and trends, so that you can navigate through the more challenging times and focus on what\u2019s coming next rather than yesterday\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n

Mediaweek: Breakfast and morning television have faced competition from streaming, social media, and on-demand news: How do you keep live morning TV compelling enough for audiences to tune in in real time?<\/p>\n

Flynn: As a live programme, we have a unique ability to tell people what\u2019s happening in real time, a lot can and does happen in the three hours we\u2019re on air.<\/p>\n

But while there are many positives to the huge volume of choice we have in our viewing habits nowadays, the flip side is information paralysis, a lot of people are overwhelmed by the amount of content out there, and rely on trusted brands like ours to curate and dissect everything into a more digestible format.<\/p>\n

But morning TV isn\u2019t just about delivering information, it\u2019s also about feeling.<\/p>\n

Mediaweek: How do you identify and react quickly to trending topics or viral moments without feeling like you\u2019re chasing clicks?<\/p>\n

Flynn: Realistically, looking at what\u2019s viral or trending is a fairly good barometer for the zeitgeist, but we need to take it a step further. I always think of it as the \u201cso what?\u201d factor. Just because someone has a gazillion TikTok followers, doesn\u2019t mean our viewers will care about an interview with them.<\/p>\n

Is it an interesting backstory? Is it just a visually-interesting piece? Is it something that\u2019s entertaining? Or is it simply something that the whole world is talking about and we really want to know what the fuss is about so they can make their own mind up?<\/p>\n

Keep on top of the most important media, marketing, and agency news each day with the\u00a0Mediaweek\u00a0Morning Report\u00a0\u2013 delivered for free every morning to your inbox.<\/a><\/p>\n