Sunrise hosts David Koch and Melissa Doyle set for a shakeup at Channel 7. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied
Sunrise's Natalie Barr, Melissa Doyle and Kylie Gilles gave no hint of what was going on behind the scenes during an appearance to highlight breast cancer checks this week. Picture: Ella Pellegrini Source: The Sunday Telegraph
Kerri-Anne Kennerley angry about speculation she will not return next year. Source: The Daily Telegraph
Natalie Barr, Melissa Doyle and Kylie Gilles at the Croydon Health Centre in Croydon Park. Picture: Ella Pellegrini Source: The Sunday Telegraph
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CHANNEL 7's Sunrise family is breaking up in a dramatic overhaul of the once-dominant breakfast TV show.
In "a major shake up" that will have ramifications across the network, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal Seven executives held a series of meetings regarding the show's on-air roster, with changes expected to take effect from January.
Key to those moves is the desire of the show's co-host Melissa Doyle to trade her early morning starts for a primetime position - with a Seven source confirming that she is being "looked at" for a full-time role presenting Today Tonight.
It is understood the network is also working on primetime options for her offsider, David Koch. The Sunday Telegraph has learnt that Doyle's alleged move to Today Tonight - currently hosted by Matthew White - comes after Seven actively pursued Today newsreader Georgie Gardner for the role three months ago but failed to lure her from arch-rival network Nine.
Seven's proposed musical chairs are said to include Matthew White moving to Sunrise alongside current Morning Show co-host Kylie Gillies; Samantha Armytage sitting on The Morning Show couch alongside Larry Emdur - and a slate of new producers to drive both Sunrise and The Morning Show.
Doyle's proposed move to primetime was first revealed by The Sunday Telegraph in September. It followed her re-signing with the network - for a rumoured $750,000 - after being "off contract" for seven months, during which rival networks claimed she was being "shopped around".
Even after re-signing, Doyle's agent James Erskine confirmed: "We have been ... looking at opportunities available for Mel post-Sunrise."
Last week Doyle said she would stick with Sunrise for the "foreseeable future".
"Yes, I did a Sunday Night story and I enjoyed doing it but I'm with Sunrise for the foreseeable future," she said.
"I promise you I will be the first to put my hand up when the time comes and I can't do it anymore.
"The hours are gruelling. I get up at 3.15am every day. But still the good outweighs that and, while that continues, while they still want me, I'll keep doing it."
According to one source, Seven executives are hopeful that a Sunrise revamp will help fend off increasing competition from Today - with Karl Stefanovic's Gold Logie win this year highlighting an obvious shift in popularity.
While Sunrise regularly trumps Today nationally, the latter has made inroads in the crucial east coast markets. Last Friday, the station claimed a national victory with 365,000 viewers to Sunrise's 341,000.
Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell refused to be drawn on the proposed moves.
Seven news boss Peter Meakin, meanwhile, confirmed he held discussions with Gardner "some months back".
"She and I go a long way back . . . And I might add that our conversation was not at my instigation," Meakin said. "We were running a whole lot of options past her but it never got to the point where we offered X amount of dollars for Sunday Night or newsreading or Today Tonight or whatever. No offer was made and no money discussed."
He denied Doyle was destined for Today Tonight, saying: "Mate, I thought she was going to Sunday Night, isn't that the rumour? I have not been in any meetings last week (regarding Sunrise), she is not going to Today Tonight. If there's an announcement to be made you'll be the first call we make."
The Sunday Telegraph has also learnt there could also be some changes afoot at Today, with Network Ten pursuing Stefanovic for what a source labelled a "lucrative on-air role".
"Obviously Karl has a very good relationship with certain Ten execs, he also does at Nine and to be honest Ten has been chasing a lot of people," the source said.
One Nine staffer said he was likely to move to 60 Minutes in the new year.
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