<i>Sunrise</i> has not eroded rival <i>Breakfast</i>'s audience share.
<i>Sunrise</i> has not eroded rival <i>Breakfast</i>'s audience share.
KEY POINTS:
TV One's Breakfast show is holding up against competition from rival Sunrise.
The ratings figures for three of the head-to-head episodes available last night showed the long-standing TVNZ programme had about three viewers to every of the newcomer's one.
But it is early days, with the dawn ofcompetition in early morning TV news and current affairs having just broken on Tuesday.
Early morning habits are notoriously difficult to change - and the school holidays meant viewers weren't tuning in as usual.
Sunrise, hosted by James Coleman and Carly Flynn, debuted to 29,900 viewers compared with Breakfast's 113,100.
Despite remaining small, viewership by all people aged 5 and over of the TV3 show gradually grew as the week went on.
However, in the channel's target audience of 18 to 49-year-olds, numbers dropped away from the inaugural episode's 15,500.
TVNZ spokeswoman Megan Richards said there was no "marked defection" to the opposition show.
"We might have expected to make a little bit more of a splash than it did given the amount of publicity."
She wouldn't comment on the appearance of former TVNZ news and current affairs boss Bill Ralston in Sunrise's opening show.
"We've read other people's comments on it with interest and amusement."
She said the industry had identified breakfast time as a growth market and it was anticipated competition would grow the total numbers tuning in.
TV3's news and current affairs director Mark Jennings was happy with the first week and said it outrated children's programming that previously screened in the timeslot.
"It's three days in for us, they've had 10 years," said Mr Jennings.
He said the performance of the presenters was a highlight of the show to date. A glitch on a live cross during a gardening segment was one of the lows.
Mr Jennings noted the success of TV3's new midday news, launched with little promotion.
