Breakfast TV reshuffle ruffles feathers at show

Hilary Barry and Jack Tame are set to take over Breakfast next month.

But TVNZ sources have told the Herald on Sunday there is reportedly already trouble behind the scenes.

The new look programme debuts next month but it's understood little of the show's content will change except for the hosts. TVNZ has yet to confirm any changes are taking place - or even that Barry is signed to the network. The former TV3 newsreader has been holidaying overseas.

Earlier this month, a Breakfast war council was assembled at TVNZ to plot the new look show, comprised of past and present producers and senior management. It's understood tensions are high between members disagreeing on the direction of the programme and the time frame.

Despite initial reports the new hosts would not take over until January, it's understood their debut has been brought forward to combat rival Paul Henry's growing audience on TV3, which leaves no time to build new sets or change the look.

Tame, who is based in New York as the One News US correspondent, will move home for the new role but will return to America ahead of the US election in November. It's not known whether a fill-in co-host will be brought in to join Barry then.

Dr Misha Kavka, associate dean of Film and Media Studies at Auckland University, said even though Barry and Tame are established figures, audiences need time to adjust.

"We stick with something we are comfortable with so to bring different presenters in to Breakfast then have them go away again for a bit and come back could be confusing."

It has been a turbulent past two months at TVNZ's early morning news show. In July, the Herald revealed veteran broadcaster Peter Williams is the latest presenter to be dumped from Breakfast.

It is believed Williams, who has worked at TVNZ since 1979, will continue to read the news at weekends. The Weekend Herald revealed two weeks earlier that Rawdon Christie and Nadine Chalmers-Ross had been told their time hosting the flagship morning news programme was up.

A TVNZ spokeswoman said the broadcaster would not comment.