GMTV Fans Unimpressed with Daybreak Rebrand
Viewers of GMTV have expressed their dislike of the revamp and new presenters on the official Facebook page of the broadcaster.
Cast aside like a dirty rag, GMTV and its personalities were dumped and the way it was done left ITV viewers fuming.
ITV confirmed yesterday that GMTV was to cease as the name seen between 6am and 9.25am after 17 years. The new brand, Daybreak, is to launch in September from a studio overlooking the river Thames in a style similar to lifestyle show This Morning which airs an hour after GMTV ends.
The changes also see new presenters, theme music and graphics for the programme, which has been beaten regularly by BBC One in the ratings for the past few years. Daybreak was first mooted as a breakfast brand for ITV in 1979 when ATV Network registered Daybreak Television Limited as a serious competitor for the franchise. Ultimately the slot was won by TV-am, who themselves launched a news show called Daybreak in 1983.
The new, or should that be revival of the old name, has been met with a far from warm cosy morning response by GMTV viewers. When ITV announced on the official GMTV Facebook page the Daybreak branding fans were quick to share their views.
Alan Wicker hosted the ATV produced Daybreak pilot in 1980.
Gemma Grimshaw nearly choked on her Weetabix at the news commenting “Thats a silly name!!!” and Hayley Portman “I do not like the sound of the new name for the show. Think again!!” While Nancy Scott observed “Wow, that announcement went well then lol!! I agree, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it….”
Many also spoke not just of the name but the new hosts, former The One Show duo Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley.
Catrina Wearing said “I won’t be watching it wen the new presenters start in September I like the ones we have now & that’s a stupid name 4 it” and Karen Jamison added “Won’t b watching it from sept, why change wots not broken! Been watching itv since tv-am but since ye’s r getting rid o good presenters n replacing with duff 1s won’t watch it.” Glynis Smith didn’t hold back “I will be turning over to bbc there’s no way i will be whatching that rubbish with such crap presenters and stupid name.”
GMTV replaced the TV-am regulars of Good Morning Britain – pictured above – in 1993. TV-am launched in 1982.
And it continued in the same vain for the majority of comments with, as the ratings seem to show, Diane Comley summing it up; “I’ve already changed over to B.B.C.!!”
Channel executive Peter Fincham’s reign at ITV has thus far proved to be rather unpopular with the demise of The Bill and now GMTV. Hiring Bleakley and Chiles has lead to critics commenting that the age old “not what you know or can do, but who you know” has come into play, with “better” presenters from GMTV ditched for Fincham’s old BBC pals.
