‘Nuclear': Network 10's desperate bid to save 10 News+ as show loses half its viewers
The show, fronted by journalists Amelia Brace and Denham Hitchcock, has been panned by viewers who have switched over in droves following its debut on June 30.
According to a TV insider, Network 10 has flailed following horrendous ratings. The audience The Project was still attracting has halved within a fortnight, in what can only be labelled an unmitigated disaster for executives.
While it was announced last week that Georgie Tunny would be joining the show, an insider claimed she's set to become the face of the already-ailing show in a bid to win back The Project's audience.
'She's the one they're betting on,' a production source told The Daily Mail.
'She has the polish, she's already known to viewers, and she connects in a way that Denham and Amelia haven't managed to.'
'They wanted a fresh start, but they didn't realise how loyal The Project's audience still was – and how brutal the 6pm slot is,' a former 10 producer said, adding the network is 'scrambling'.
'Everyone's talking like it's (10's failed breakfast TV program) Wake Up all over again – and we all know how that ended.'
Publicly, Network 10 has insisted that attracting new viewers is 'a marathon, not a sprint', but the insider added that behind the scenes 'even Paramount bosses in LA' have been forced to step in.
'There's real concern that if this tanks completely, it could kill 10's news investment for years,' they said.
A 10 spokesperson said last week that the network was 'taking a long-term, multi-platform view of audience development'.
'Building a loyal news audience takes time, and we are prepared for gradual growth as audiences discover and connect with our unique approach to news delivery across many platforms,' they said in a statement.
'10 is fully committed to 10 News+. This is a marathon, not a sprint. We are investing in building a sustainable, quality multi-platform news service that will grow and evolve with our audience's needs over time.'
Last Tuesday evening, 10 News+ recorded an average of 244,000 viewers, before attracting 205,000 on Wednesday and 159,000 on Thursday. Numbers dipped again on Friday, with an average audience of just 152,000.
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