TVNZ Set To Axe 'Good Morning'

Television New Zealand is axing its long-running Good Morning programme.

The show, which is broadcast on TV One for an hour from 9am, will finish at the end of December, a spokesman for the state-owned company said last night.

Good Morning is hosted by Jeanette Thomas (pictured) and others, including Matai Smith and Matt Gibb.

Other hosts over the past 19 years have included Liz Gunn, Mary Lambie, Kerry Smith, Evie Ashton and tag-team hosts Brendon Pongia and Sarah Bradley.

TVNZ director of content Jeff Latch said the show was nearing the end of its life cycle.

"TVNZ has chosen to focus its local content investment in prime-time programming. Good Morning has been a long-standing part of our schedule."

About 15 people work on the programme on contract or as freelancers. Mr Latch said that where it was possible, TVNZ would provide opportunities for them in other parts of the company.

The magazine-style show, which began in 1996, initially ran for two hours and later three hours.

In recent years, the format changed, featuring news bulletins and moving to a one-hour format.

Nielsen ratings show the programme's popularity had waned this year, with an average audience of 54,000 viewers tuning in throughout August, compared to 64,000 in August 2014.

Source- NZ Herald