Today (1982 TV program)
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcast television |
| Founded | June 28, 1982 |
| Headquarters | North Sydney , Australia |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | Karl Stefanovic, Sarah Abo |
| Products | Morning news and current affairs program |
| Parent | Nine Network |
Today, also referred to as The Today Show, is an Australian morning news and current affairs program with a strong infotainment emphasis, presented by Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo. It is broadcast on weekdays via the Nine Network, featuring regular news and weather segments. The show also has a weekend counterpart titled Weekend Today.
The weekday edition of Today airs from 5:30 am until 9:00 am, positioned after Today Early News and before Today Extra, a light entertainment series hosted by David Campbell and Sylvia Jeffreys. Production takes place at the Nine Network’s TCN studios located in North Sydney, on the North Shore of New South Wales. Although it is independent, the show shares its infotainment format and naming style with the American Today.
History
Debuting on 28 June 1982 under the title The National Today Show, Today holds the distinction of being Australia’s longest-running morning breakfast news program. The original presenting duo consisted of Steve Liebmann and Sue Kellaway, who co-hosted for four years before Liebmann departed to join Network Ten. He was succeeded by former 60 Minutes journalist George Negus, who remained in the role for another four years. Liebmann later returned, co-hosting alongside Liz Hayes and subsequently Tracy Grimshaw, before retiring in 2004 following a minor heart attack.
In 2005, Karl Stefanovic took over from Liebmann, while Grimshaw transitioned to host A Current Affair. Despite rumors that Chris Bath might assume co-hosting duties, former Ten News anchor Jessica Rowe was ultimately appointed. Rowe's tenure was met with mixed reviews due to her presentation style and media attention related to a court case. Ratings improved during her maternity leave when substitutes Sarah Murdoch and Kellie Sloane filled in. Rowe exited the program in May 2007 to explore other career paths.
Lisa Wilkinson, previously with Weekend Sunrise, replaced Rowe in May 2007. Wilkinson unexpectedly resigned in October 2017 amid contract disagreements and subsequently joined Network Ten’s The Project. Interim host Deborah Knight was followed by Georgie Gardner taking over in January 2018.
After a 14-year tenure, Karl Stefanovic left the show in December 2018. Beginning January 2019, Deborah Knight co-hosted alongside Georgie Gardner. The presenting team was refreshed with new additions: Tom Steinfort as news presenter, Tony Jones handling sports coverage, and Brooke Boney presenting entertainment. Steven Jacobs returned as weather presenter after Natalia Cooper’s maternity leave. Despite these changes, the program faced challenges with declining ratings amid broader reductions in television viewership.
In November 2019, Nine Network confirmed Karl Stefanovic’s comeback alongside Weekend Today co-host and 60 Minutes reporter Allison Langdon, starting January 2020. Georgie Gardner departed from the show but stayed within Nine. Additional presenter shifts occurred in December 2019: Perth-based Tracy Vo replaced Tom Steinfort as news anchor, Alex Cullen succeeded Tony Jones on sports duties, and Tim Davies took over weather from Steven Jacobs. Due to family health considerations during the COVID-19 pandemic, Vo returned permanently to Perth; Cullen now handles both news and sports presenting.
On 9 September 2022, Today delivered comprehensive live coverage of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, with Stefanovic and Langdon reporting from the UK alongside several correspondents and royal experts.
In November 2022, Nine announced that 60 Minutes journalist Sarah Abo would succeed Allison Langdon as co-host beginning January 2023; Langdon transitioned to become host of A Current Affair, replacing Tracy Grimshaw.
In April 2024, Nine rebranded its early morning news segment from 9News: Early Edition to Today Early News, aiming for closer alignment with the main program.
Today Extra: 2016–present
In January 2016, Nine Network rebranded Mornings as Today Extra, presenting it as a complementary segment to the flagship breakfast show Today. The show was relocated to the Today studio and continued to emphasize a mix of light entertainment alongside news updates.
By January 2019, David Campbell was appointed as the host of Weekend Today while maintaining his role on Today Extra from Monday through Wednesday. Richard Wilkins joined as co-host for Thursday and Friday episodes.
Following Sonia Kruger's departure in November 2019, Sylvia Jeffreys permanently took over her position. Campbell resumed weekday hosting duties, Wilkins transitioned to Weekend Today, and Belinda Russell served as a stand-in during Jeffreys' maternity leave.
Weekend Today: 2009–present
Nine Network introduced a weekend edition of Today in 2009, initially titled Today on Sunday, aiming to rival Seven Network's leading weekend breakfast program, Weekend Sunrise. The inaugural presenting team featured Cameron Williams and Leila McKinnon, with Amber Sherlock delivering news segments, and Tim Gilbert alongside Michael Slater covering sports.
By May 2009, Nine expanded its weekend coverage by launching Today on Saturday, establishing a continuous seven-day morning news broadcast. This weekend edition was rebranded as Today: Weekend Edition before adopting the shorter title Weekend Today in July. The Saturday broadcast lengthened to three hours by September 2012.
In September 2014, Deborah Knight succeeded Leila McKinnon as co-host. Peter Stefanovic departed in 2017 to join 60 Minutes, with Tom Steinfort stepping into his role. December 2017 saw Knight move to Nine News Sydney, Allison Langdon take over as co-host of Weekend Today, and Stefanovic return to hosting duties.
Peter Stefanovic exited the network in December 2018, with David Campbell filling his position. Starting January 2019, Campbell and Langdon co-hosted alongside Jayne Azzopardi (news), Clint Stanaway (sport), and Tim Davies (weather).
Karl Stefanovic made a comeback in November 2019 as co-host for both Today and Weekend Today, partnering with Allison Langdon. In December, Richard Wilkins and Rebecca Maddern replaced Campbell and Langdon on the weekend edition; Jayne Azzopardi retained her role as news presenter, while Lauren Phillips joined as weather presenter.
After Rebecca Maddern resigned in November 2021, Belinda Russell and Charles Croucher succeeded her on hosting duties, with Azzopardi continuing her news presentation role. Lauren Phillips departed to focus on radio commitments, and Dan Anstey was appointed weather presenter in 2022.
Belinda Russell left the program in February 2023. By April, Clint Stanaway and Jayne Azzopardi were named co-hosts, with Sophie Walsh joining as the news presenter.
In July 2024, Jayne Azzopardi transitioned to be the news presenter on Today, with Sophie Walsh stepping into the weekend co-host position in August. Lizzie Pearl took over Walsh’s previous news responsibilities.
By February 2025, Alison Piotrowski replaced Sophie Walsh as host following a six-week interim period. As of that date, Clint Stanaway and Alison Piotrowski co-host the show, while Lizzie Pearl presents the news and Dan Anstey handles weather reporting.
Today on Saturday: 1992–2002
Building on the success of the weekday Today program, a Saturday edition was launched in the early 1990s, initially hosted by Tracy Grimshaw. The format concentrated on news coverage, political affairs, and economic analysis. Subsequent hosts included Tara Brown, Richard Wilkins, and reporter Helen Dalley from 1996 onward. Contributions also came from news presenters Michael Usher, Anna Coren, and Mark Burrows. Due to budgetary constraints at Nine Network, this program was discontinued in 2002.
Anniversaries and reunions
On 28 June 2007, Today commemorated its 25th year by embarking on a tour across five Australian cities within a single week, setting a precedent for Australian television programs. The event featured appearances from former hosts and musical performers. Distinguished participants included Ian Ross, Tracy Grimshaw, Monte Dwyer, Liz Hayes, and Helen Dalley. Although original co-hosts Steve Liebmann and Sue Kellaway were not physically present, they contributed through video messages.
The 30th anniversary celebration in 2012 introduced refreshed set designs, a new logo, and updated graphics. Over the course of the week, viewers enjoyed retrospectives and live visits from previous hosts including Liebmann, Kellaway, Grimshaw, Monte Dwyer, and Sarah Murdoch. Due to scheduling conflicts, Liz Hayes provided a prerecorded greeting. Additional video tributes were presented by Brian Bury, George Negus, and Joan McInnes.
On 1 July 2022, Today marked its 40th anniversary with a special edition featuring former hosts such as Steve Liebmann, Sue Kellaway, Tracy Grimshaw, Lisa Wilkinson, and Georgie Gardner. The program reflected on four decades of significant news stories, celebrity interviews, roadshows across Australia and abroad, as well as memorable viral moments. A dedicated highlights episode was broadcast on 2 July.
Format
As an extension of Nine News, Today offers comprehensive coverage including news, sports updates, weather forecasts, entertainment segments, and current affairs with a focus on morning delivery. The program also addresses topics like consumer issues, health matters, political developments, education, fashion trends, business insights, and financial news. Audience engagement is fostered through emails, text messages, and interaction via the show's website.
Initially airing for two hours from 7:00 am to 9:00 am, Today expanded its duration following the cancellation of Nine Early Morning News. Between 2008 and 2009, the show extended to three and a half hours starting at 5:30 am to better align with breakfast radio schedules. This included an elongated segment featuring news, sports, finance updates, and weather prior to the main broadcast at 6:00 am. Additionally, Weekend Today is broadcast on Saturdays and Sundays from 7:00 am until 10:00 am.
Hosts
| Presenter | Role | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Karl Stefanovic | Co-host | 2005–2018, 2020–present |
| Sarah Abo | Co-host | 2023–present |
| Jayne Azzopardi | News | 2024–present |
| Danika Mason | Sport | 2025–present |
| Tim Davies | Weather | 2020–present |
| Richard Wilkins | Entertainment | 1994–present |
| Renee Bargh | Entertainment | 2024–present |
Previous anchors
The main presenting team over the years has included:
| Tenure | Presenters | |
|---|---|---|
| 1982–1985 | Steve Liebmann | Sue Kellaway |
| 1986 | Patrice Newell | |
| 1986–1987 | Liz Hayes | |
| 1987–1990 | George Negus | |
| 1990–1996 | Steve Liebmann | |
| 1996–2005 | Tracy Grimshaw | |
| 2005 | Karl Stefanovic | |
| 2006 | Jessica Rowe | |
| 2007–2017 | Lisa Wilkinson | |
| 2018 | Georgie Gardner | |
| 2019 | Deborah Knight | |
| 2020–2022 | Karl Stefanovic | Allison Langdon |
| 2023–present | Sarah Abo | |
Reporters
| Location | Reporters |
|---|---|
| Sydney | Lara Vella, Jack Hahn, Sarah Stewart |
| Melbourne | Christine Ahern, Izabella Staskowski |
| Queensland | Mia Glover, Andrea Crothers |
| Adelaide | Tom Rehn |
| Canberra | Charles Croucher, Andrew Probyn, Eliza Edwards, Amanda Copp |
| Europe | Edward Godfrey, Jessica Millward, Hannah Sinclair |
| USA | Jonathan Kearsley, Lauren Tomasi, Reid Butler |
Substitute Presenters
| Main Host | Substitute Presenters |
|---|---|
| Karl Stefanovic | Charles Croucher, James Bracey, David Campbell |
| Sarah Abo | Jayne Azzopardi, Alison Piotrowski, Amelia Adams |
| Jayne Azzopardi | Alison Piotrowski, Lizzie Pearl, Lara Vella |
| Danika Mason | Zac Bailey, Emma Lawrence |
| Tim Davies | Izabella Staskowski, Mia Glover |
Recent substitutes have included Charles Croucher, James Bracey, David Campbell, Jayne Azzopardi, Alison Piotrowski, Sylvia Jeffreys, Amelia Adams, and Leila McKinnon.
Former fill-in presenters feature Alex Cullen, Christine Ahern, Dan Anstey, Samantha Armytage, Michael Genovese, Brooke Boney, Belinda Russell, Gavin Morris, Ben Fordham, Cameron Williams, Kellie Sloane, Tim McMillan, Tracy Vo, Sarah Murdoch, Sharyn Ghidella, Kim Watkins, Helen Dalley, Richard Wilkins, Deborah Knight, Tom Steinfort, Ellen Fanning, Ali Moore, Sophie Walsh, Dr Nick Coatsworth, Michael Pascoe, Peter FitzSimons, Peter Overton, Ross Greenwood, Michael Usher, Ken Sutcliffe, Mark Ferguson, Jennifer Keyte, Garry Lyon, Rebecca Maddern and Eddie McGuire.
News
The show broadcasts seven primary news bulletins every thirty minutes.
| News Anchor | Years Active |
|---|---|
| Eric Walters | 1982–1990 |
| Ian Ross | 1991–2001 |
| Sharyn Ghidella | 2001–2005; 2005–2006 |
| Leila McKinnon | Feb 2005 – Jun 2005 |
| Georgie Gardner | 2006–2014 |
| Sylvia Jeffreys | 2014–2018 |
Between 2009 and 2014 Georgie Gardner managed news presenting alongside duties for Nine News Sydney. During this time weekend news anchors covered Monday bulletins.
In 2014 Sylvia Jeffreys assumed full-time responsibility for the weekday news but departed in late 2018 to explore other opportunities. Tom Steinfort succeeded her at the start of 2019. Tracy Vo took over later that year but returned to Perth in March 2020 amid the COVID-19 crisis. Alex Cullen then presented news and sport until December 2022. Following his tenure Brooke Boney took on the role in January 2023 but resigned in March 2024 to pursue studies at Oxford University. Jayne Azzopardi was appointed as her replacement in July 2024.
Alison Piotrowski, Lizzie Pearl, Sophie Walsh, Lara Vella and Tim Davies act as regular substitute news anchors.
Additional occasional news presenters include Mark Burrows, Brett McLeod and Charles Croucher among others.
Today Perth News
Local news segments dedicated to Perth were first introduced in March 2014 but ceased in May 2020. These segments were brought back in January 2024, with Lara Vella anchoring from the TCN studios.
| News presenters | Tenure |
|---|
Finance
Finance updates are delivered by Jayne Azzopardi immediately after the news. Additionally, Effie Zahos presents a daily consumer-focused segment titled Your Money at 7:55am.
Sport
Danika Mason provides sports coverage following each news bulletin every half hour.
The first dedicated sports presenter was Cameron Williams (2006–2010), succeeded by Ben Fordham (2011–2014), Tony Jones (2019), and Alex Cullen (2020 to early 2025). Cullen resigned in February 2025 amid controversy involving a $50,000 gift, with Danika Mason taking over his role.
| Sport presenters | Tenure |
|---|
Weather
Tim Davies is the current weather presenter, delivering forecasts after each news and sports update. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he primarily reported from Queensland due to its relatively low case numbers.
| Weather presenters | Tenure |
|---|
Substitute weather presenters include Izabella Staskowski, Mia Glover, and Scherri-Lee Biggs. Other occasional fill-in presenters are Alex Heinke, Abby Coleman, and Sylvia Jeffreys.
Entertainment
Richard Wilkins and Renee Bargh lead the entertainment segments featuring interviews and reviews. Brooke Boney joined as the entertainment reporter in late 2018 but departed in mid-2024. Following her exit, Wilkins and Bargh resumed their presenting duties.
| Entertainment presenters | Tenure |
|---|
Technology
Trevor Long regularly hosts technology-focused segments and gadget reviews. During the pandemic period, he broadcasted from his personal studio at EFTM.
Traffic
Traffic updates are broadcast frequently during the program for metropolitan regions including Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. These reports are produced by the Australian Traffic Network and occasionally presented live from local helicopters.
Ratings
From 2004 until early 2007, Sunrise maintained a dominant lead over Today in ratings. However, late in 2007, Today increased its audience share significantly during key morning time slots. Since Lisa Wilkinson joined in May 2007, Today has consistently outperformed Sunrise in Melbourne.
In April 2009, Today surpassed Sunrise on Good Friday for the first time in five years. Over the following years, it steadily closed the gap, achieving weekly victories in June 2011 and winning Sydney ratings in 2012. Nevertheless, after Samantha Armytage took over as Sunrise host in August 2013, Today's ratings declined.
Following strong showings in late-2015 and early-2016, Today recorded some of its highest ratings ever and secured more weekly wins than Sunrise that year. After Sunrise regained top position in 2017, Today experienced a sharp ratings drop in 2018 amid negative press surrounding co-host Karl Stefanovic. His departure at the end of that year led to further declines with record low figures through much of 2019.
When Stefanovic returned in 2020, Today remained behind both Sunrise and News Breakfast, though it gradually narrowed the gap. By September 2021, Today led viewership over Sunrise for the first time since early-2018.
Broadcasting
Because Australia spans multiple time zones, Today is broadcast live year-round only in New South Wales & ACT, Victoria, and Tasmania. Queensland receives a one-hour delayed airing during daylight saving periods following an unsuccessful live trial between 2007 and 2008. The Northern Territory broadcasts the show with a delay of thirty minutes or more depending on daylight saving schedules. South Australia delays transmission by thirty minutes; Western Australia airs it two hours later or three hours during daylight saving time.
For major breaking news events, Today switches to live broadcasts into affected states to provide timely updates.
International broadcasts
Outside Australia, Today is also aired on EMTV in Papua New Guinea and Fiji Television in Fiji.
See also
- List of Australian television series
- List of programs broadcast by Nine Network
- List of longest-running Australian television series