Old ATV and TV-am Name for ITV Breakfast – Daybreak

July 9, 2010

A name first registered to ATV Network in 1979 is to be used as ITV’s new breakfast show title – Daybreak.

TV-am Personalities; Nick Owen, Wincey Willis, John Stapleton, Lizzie Webb and Anne Diamond.

The new name will replace the current GMTV from September. The Daybreak brand, as well as being proposed in 1979, was briefly used by original ITV breakfast show TV-am in 1983.

The 1.5 million pound shake-up will see former The One Show hosts Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley present the overhauled morning slot. GMTV launched in 1993 but has suffered in recent times a ratings low as BBC One’s Breakfast show proves the most watched early morning show.

As part of ITV’s plans to boost team morale at the studios and the image of their 6-9.25am slot, all aspects of the output are being overhauled. Daybreak will switch studios at the ITV London facilities, moving to the former London Tonight regional news studio which has windows looking out across the Thames river and North London. Also new titles, graphics and theme music are being created.

Anne Diamond and Nick Owen hosted TV-am’s flagship magazine show Good Morning Britain.

However viewers hate change, and if Daybreak proves unpopular ITV will be left with a damaged new brand and lost loyalty from disgruntled GMTV viewers. Director of Factual, Daytime and GMTV, Alison Sharman believes its a risk worth taking.

Daybreak plays a key part in ITV’s ongoing transformation and reflects the fact that creative renewal lies at the heart of our schedule, which is being modernised and improved under Peter Fincham.

Since acquiring GMTV we have carried out a thorough review and set out to transform and significantly invest in a business that had been lagging behind its competitors in recent years. Change, both on and off screen, is an essential part of the process in our bid to reclaim the top breakfast show spot.

We want to ensure that the core audience of housewives with children keep watching but are also determined to attract new viewers to our revitalised breakfast show. As we approach the next stage of this transformational journey our newly confirmed anchors – Christine and Adrian – will be the lynchpins of Daybreak with their unique and brilliant partnership.

Lorraine Kelly has broadcast on TV-am, GMTV and her own show GMTV with Lorraine.

Lorraine Kelly’s show, GMTV with Lorraine, is breaking away from the morning branding with the title to her new programme simply Lorraine. Its format isn’t yet clear, suggestions had been made that it would have an entire revamp – with a studio audience introduced.

I love breakfast TV and I am absolutely delighted to be continuing with my own show! I am also very lucky to have an incredibly talented and hard working team and we are all looking forward to September. – Lorraine Kelly

Daybreak Television Limited was registered in December 1979 by ATV Network Limited to bid for the ITV licence to broadcast a breakfast service from 1983 onwards. The franchise ultimately went to TV-am and in 1993 GMTV took over the licence when they out-bid TV-am.

GMTV Limited has already been re-named as ITV Breakfast Limited. Debate on forums, and some critics, have passed comment that Adrian’s monotone voice and “grumpy” manner won’t sit well with breakfast viewers, while Christine is deemed “nothing special” and there are, they suggest, vastly better presenters working in local news such as Pam Royal and Carol Malia. Even recently ousted faces from GMTV such as Penny Smith and Emma Crosby, in the view of some viewers, have a better presenting style, interviewing skill and chirpy personality required for the competitive morning slot.

GMTV line up: Andrew Castle, Emma Crosby, Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard.

Critics believe ITV has failed to realise the success of The One Show isn’t down to its presenting team – but the time it airs. 7pm provides little in the way of real choice for viewers, and for anyone who doesn’t want to watch Emmerdale or news, The One Show is the popular alternative.

I wouldn’t want to watch those two at breakfast, I give it a year and they’ll be off. You don’t also just cast away such a long running brand with viewer loyalty. But ITV are always right, I’d put a bet on with this they’re very, very wrong and Daybreak will ultimately become a short-lived televisual disaster. – ATV critic Queenie