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| Sunrise | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Breakfast entertainment program |
| Presented by | |
| Opening theme | (Reach Up for The) Sunrise byDuran Duran |
| Composers | |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 31 |
| No. of episodes | 5,000+ |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Jake Lyle |
| Production locations |
|
| Running time | 210 minutes (3.5 hours) |
| Original release | |
| Network | Seven Network |
| Release | 14 January 1991 (1991-01-14) – present |
| Related | |
| Weekend Sunrise The Morning Show | |
Sunrise is an Australianbreakfast show program. It is broadcast on theSeven Network, and as of April 2025[update] is hosted byNatalie Barr andMatt Shirvington. The program followsSunrise Early News, and runs from 5:30 am to 9:00 am. It is followed byThe Morning Show.
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The history ofSunrise can be traced back to 14 January 1991 when11AM news presenter Darren McDonald began presenting an early morningSeven News – Sunrise Edition bulletin, three days prior to theGulf War's start.
In 1996, Seven introduced a one-hour weekday bulletin calledSunrise News, later renamedSunrise. Seven recruitedChris Bath fromNBN Television to present the bulletin alongsidePeter Ford.[1] Ford moved to other presenting roles in 1996 and was replaced by finance editor David Koch. In 1997, Chris Bath was transferred to Seven's10.30 pm News and was replaced byMelissa Doyle. Sport presenter Nick McArdle and reporter Natalie Barr were regular substitute presenters. Seven launched a Sunday edition hosted byStan Grant, entitledSunday Sunrise, in 1997.[2] WeekdaySunrise was cancelled in 1999, replaced by children's programThe Big Breakfast.[3] Seven maintained half-hourly news updates duringThe Big Breakfast and their Sunday bulletin was not affected by the axing. Other temporarySunrise hosts up until this time includeAnne Fulwood (who was filling in forGeorgie Gardner at the time of the program's end),Leigh Hatcher andNick McArdle (previously weekend sport presenter,Seven News Sydney).
During the2000 Summer Olympics,Andrew Daddo andJohanna Griggs presentedOlympic Sunrise from a leased apartment nearLavender Bay, in Sydney which provided theSydney Harbour Bridge andSydney Opera House as waterside backdrops.
On 1 May 2000, the program was replaced by a new version ofSunrise produced byAdam Boland. It was hosted byGeorgie Gardner and Melbourne sport reporterMark Beretta. It was followed by music video programAMV.
According to Boland'sBrekky Central, in late 2001 producers had created a plan to take onToday on the Nine Network, the leader at breakfast, taking inspiration from Fox America'sFox and Friends. Set to debut in March 2002, the multimillion-dollar production would have its own dedicated studio and fronted by Australian Radio personalityAndrew Daddo andLisa Forrest. However a month before its launch, the network's board axed the idea and believed money could be better spent.
In 2002, Seven revamped their breakfast television schedule withSeven Early News at 6:00 am, hosted byChris Reason (which only lasted around one week), and a new version ofSunrise from 6:30 am to 9:00 am, hosted by Reason andMelissa Doyle.Sunrise ran from 6:00 am to 9:00 am from February the same year.David Koch was brought in to present the finance reports. In October of that year, Reason discovered he had another cancerous tumour behind his kidney and had to resign from his position. Four years earlier he had undergone treatment for another growth. Koch was appointed temporary presenter, a position later made permanent.
Sunrise was yet again revamped in December 2002 soon after Koch's appointment, focusing less on hard news and became morefamily friendly. The show, along with its rivalToday on Nine, have become more tabloid focused which has boosted ratings.
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In 2003, the show began to pick up ratings, and appointedNatalie Barr to present the news updates, followed by the appointment of formerNetwork Ten journalistGrant Denyer to present weather reports, then the re-appointment ofMark Beretta, who was brought in to present sports updates. The new plan to take onToday, following the ratings rise, was some dramatic point of difference which included news updates every thirty minutes, big interviews, less formal presenting than a news bulletin, "the soapbox", ROS wall, natural chemistry but most importantly a shift in viewers interest. "Kochie" and "Mel", as they became informally known, relied less on scripts but more on talking points. They would debate the issues of the day and the viewers would heavily influence those topics. Some of these changes were not well received by members of Seven's news department who felt the shift in tone negatively impacted on the brand, and at one point then-Seven CEO Maureen Plavsic demanded Koch be fired only to be overruled byKerry Stokes.[4]
On 30 August 2004,Sunrise,Seven News Sydney andSeven Morning News moved from their studios inEpping to the new Seven News centre atMartin Place.
On 29 January 2007,Sunrise had a complete makeover with changes to the set and on-screen graphics. Due to continued viewer feedback, theSunrise set changed again on 10 June 2007; specifically, the new set includes more of the city into its shots by the installation ofsmart glass. This glass, similar to that used on theBoeing 787 airliner, allows for the transparency of the glass to be adjusted, ranging from clear, to partially transparent to completely opaque, showing as a solid blue. These changes have proved useful in shielding viewers from the actions of some passers by, notably the cast members of theABC showThe Chaser's War on Everything and the protests surrounding the2018 Aboriginal adoption controversy. The set was also modified soThe Morning Show's set could fit into theMartin Place current affairs studio. In October 2009, it was announced that at the start of 2010,Sunrise would receive a brand new set, format, graphics and logo on 25 January 2010.
In April 2010,Sunrise added a feature show that shows a selection of highlights from the previous day's (or in the case of Monday, Friday)Sunrise. the show known asSunrise Extra aired at 5am each weekday prior toSeven Early News.
In 2011, there was much speculation that Melissa Doyle would be leaving the show to presentToday Tonight and that David Koch may be moved to a prime-time position. However, Doyle continued with the show for her tenth consecutive year in 2012, as did Koch.[5]
On 29 February 2012,Sunrise celebrated its 10th anniversary with Doyle and Koch. Doyle is the only original presenter remaining from the March 2002 launch; at the time, Chris Reason was her co-host (he took leave in late 2002 to fight cancer, prompting the initial then-temporary appointment of Koch) and Koch was the finance analyst. Koch started presentingSunrise on a permanent basis from 4 October 2002.
In May 2013,Sunrise broadcast once a week from the Seven Network's Melbourne studios (HSV-7) to attempt and capture a growing Melbourne audience.Sunrise has been trailingToday (and, since 2008,News Breakfast on the ABC) in the Melbourne market since 2008. The show was broadcast from the stationsAFL Game Day set. This was discontinued later on after continually poor ratings.
On 20 June 2013 during the program, Doyle announced that she was leavingSunrise after 14 years to front a new prime time Network News initiative. She stated, "It's with that experience and support from the team that I am able to take this next step. I'm honoured that the Network has given me this incredible new opportunity and I am unbelievably excited about the new challenges ahead." It was later announced thatSamantha Armytage would be replacing Doyle as co-host alongside Koch.[6]
In February 2016,Sunrise received a new set and graphics and was extended by 30 minutes to start at 5:30 am, matching the starting time of rivalToday. This resulted inSeven Early News being moved to the 5:00 am timeslot andSunrise Extra being cancelled.Edwina Bartholomew announced that she would be departing her role as weather presenter withSam Mac announced as her replacement.[7]
In June 2020, it was announcedNatalie Barr would host the show two days a week, after Samantha Armytage requested a reduced workload. Barr presented withDavid Koch on Mondays, and with Armytage on Fridays.[8] However, in September 2020, it was announced that Koch and Armytage would revert to a five-day working week with Natalie Barr resuming her news role.[9]
In January 2021, Koch and Armytage reverted to a four-day week, withMatt Doran and Natalie Barr co-hosting on Fridays, withEdwina Bartholomew as news presenter.[10]
On 8 March 2021, Armytage announced that she would be resigning as co-host, to spend more time with her family. Her final show was on 11 March 2021[11] On 14 March 2021, it was confirmedNatalie Barr would officially replace Armytage as co-host.[12]Edwina Bartholomew replaced Barr as news presenter.
On 29 May 2023,David Koch announced his departure fromSunrise, ending a 21-year run on the breakfast show.[13] Koch's replacement,Matt Shirvington was announced on 5 June 2023.[14][15] Koch's last day was on 9 June 2023.
On 24 July 2023,Sunrise hosted its very first broadcast at its new studio base inTelevision City, South Eveleigh. The first edition went to air live at 5:30 am, with hosts Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington, news presenter Edwina Bartholomew and sport presenter Mark Beretta, followed byThe Morning Show's Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies as well as otherSeven News broadcasts.[16] With this change, the show received a rebranding along withThe Morning Show.[17]
In March 2024,Jodie Speers announced her resignation from the Seven Network.Seven Early News bulletin was renamedSunrise Early News and Speers was replaced byEdwina Bartholomew.
Prior to 2010,Sunrise occasionally aired two special Saturday editions. This included, since 2003:
A number of musical guests have appeared onSunrise and performed live action the show, usually meeting fans afterwards. Like the rest of the studio, their stage area gives people on the street a chance to view the performances. Occasionally, musical guests perform "on the plaza" on a temporary stage erected inMartin Place. Musical performances normally take place at 7:50am and 8:50am, with most guests playing two songs.
In 2005 the Seven Network replaced its struggling Sunday morning programSunday Sunrise with a program calledWeekend Sunrise which originally was an hour long (8am – 9am) program with an identical format toSunrise. Hosted byChris Reason (then the presenter ofSunday Sunrise) andLisa Wilkinson, the program was successful and various critiques at the time called for the program to be lengthened to two hours (7am – 9am) and be extended to Saturday mornings as well as Sunday.[citation needed]
In 2006,Weekend Sunrise was extended from an hour to a two-hour show, running every Sunday from 8:00 am till 10:00 am. WhenSportsworld returned for the football seasonWeekend Sunrise settled into a 90-minute format from 8:00 am to 9:30 am. AfterSportsworld's series concluded, the show returned to a two-hour format.
Andrew O'Keefe initially temporarily replaced host Chris Reason in 2006, but after improved ratings he was given the hosting position permanently. In 2007, Wilkinson moved to theNine Network to hostToday and was replaced by Samantha Armytage. In 2008,Weekend Sunrise moved their start time 30 minutes earlier to 7:30 am to match the new start time of Nine'sSunday program. The program continued to run through to 10:00 am, meaning that the program had a two-and-a-half-hour running time.
In 2009, the program's start time was moved even earlier. Originally, rivalNine Network announced thatToday on Sunday (nowWeekend Today), the replacement of the long-runningSunday, would run from 7:30 am to 9:00 am. But this was changed on 28 January 2009 to 7:00 am to 9:00 am. As result, Seven announced thatWeekend Sunrise would also commence at 7:00 am and run to 10:00 am, meaning the program would go for three hours, the same as the weekday version ofSunrise.[19]
On 13 February 2010, Seven announced thatWeekend Sunrise would extend to Saturdays to compete againstWeekend Today. The Saturday edition airs in the same time slot asWeekend Today (7:00 am to 10:00 am).Saturday Disney, which previously occupied the timeslot, aired its last two hours of their program on7flix (the first hour, from 6:00 am – 7:00 am, precededWeekend Sunrise on the Seven Network). The original Saturday team consisted of Samantha Armytage co-hosting withLarry Emdur withSarah Cumming, Simon Reeve andJames Tobin presenting news, sport and weather respectively.
In June 2013, Melissa Doyle announced that she would be leavingSunrise for a national network role with Samantha Armytage replacing her.Monique Wright therefore initially replaced Armytage onWeekend Sunrise, but it was not until February 2014 that she was made a permanent co-host on the show.[20]
In December 2017,Andrew O'Keefe resigned citing a desire to spend more time with his family.[21] In March 2018, it was announced thatBasil Zempilas would replace O'Keefe.[22]
In September 2019,Basil Zempilas announced his resignation as regular host ofWeekend Sunrise, citing a desire to spend more time with his family, but would still appear on the show intermittently as a summer and fill-in presenter whenever required.[23] In October 2019, it was announced thatMatt Doran would replace Zempilas on the show from 12 October.[24]
In November 2024,Matt Doran announced he was leavingWeekend Sunrise to focus on family and pursue other opportunities.[25] Doran’s final show was on 8 December 2024. US Bureau Chief David Woiwod had been announced days later as the replacement of Doran as co-host of Weekend Sunrise. His first show was 14 December 2024[26]
As of December 2024,Monique Wright andDavid Woiwod are the co-hosts, withSally Bowrey andJames Tobin presenting news, sport and weather respectively.
Like most other breakfast television shows,Sunrise blends a mixture of news every thirty minutes, interviews and light-hearted feature pieces into three hours each morning. Often they will go out and present the show from other locations, such as Hawaii,Las Vegas, Athens,Disneyland, Beijing and Melbourne for theCommonwealth Games,Beaconsfield in Tasmania andDreamworld on theGold Coast. A major feature of the show is that the viewer can send in their responses to stories via email, SMS, phone, Facebook and Twitter. Viewers can also bring up issues they want reviewed or investigated and it is recorded on the ROSwall (Responses of Sunrisers).
Local news updates, following the national news updates at 6am, 7am, and 8am were launched on 28 May 2007, offering viewers in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, and Perth news specific to their city. Prior to this, local weather and capital city traffic updates had already been inserted into the program. These were removed in June 2008, following the commencement ofSeven Early News, due to logistical reasons.
Traffic reports are shown at four regular intervals during the show, presented from a helicopter or a traffic management centre. Traffic reports air in themetropolitan markets of Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. They are produced and presented by traffic reporters from theAustralian Traffic Network.
Since May 2015, and between October 2021 and April 2022 respectively, Western Australia and Queensland have both received localised news updates, addressing the time differences between the states and the Australian eastern seaboard, especially during daylight saving when the two states are three hours and one hour, respectively, behind New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Tasmania. Both markets include news items from local reporters as well as statewide weather updates in place of the national sport and weather updates presented by Katie Brown and Sam Mac, respectively.
Western Australia's local news updates are presented byMatt Tinney from Seven'sPerth studios and air every half-hour from 5:30 am, prior to the national news update. Amelia Broun is the main fill-in presenter.[27]
Queensland's local news updates were presented by Bianca Stone from Seven'sBrisbane studios and aired every half-hour from 6:00 am, prior to the national news update.[28][29] These local news updates were discontinued in April 2022 when New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Tasmania rejoined Queensland in the same AEST timezone.
| Presenter | Role | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Natalie Barr | Co-host | 2021–present |
| Matt Shirvington | Co-host and Sport (Tuesday–Thursday) | 2023–present |
| Monique Wright | News & Entertainment | 2025–present |
| Katie Brown | Sport (Monday and Friday) | 2025–present |
| Sam Mac | Weather | 2016–present |
| Tenure | Presenter | |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Peter Ford | Chris Bath |
| 1996–1997 | David Koch | |
| 1997–1999 | Melissa Doyle | |
| 2000–2002 | Mark Beretta | Georgie Gardner |
| 2002 | Chris Reason | Melissa Doyle |
| 2002–2013 | David Koch | |
| 2013–2021 | Samantha Armytage | |
| 2021–2023 | Natalie Barr | |
| 2023–present | Matt Shirvington | |
| Tenure | Presenter Role | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| News | Sport | Weather | Entertainment | |
| 2002–2004 | Natalie Barr | – | – | – |
| 2004–2006 | Mark Beretta | Grant Denyer | ||
| 2006–2007 | Monique Wright | |||
| 2008 | David Brown | |||
| 2009 | Fifi Box | Nuala Hafner | ||
| 2010–2012 | Grant Denyer | Fifi Box | ||
| 2013 | – | |||
| 2013–2016 | Edwina Bartholomew | |||
| 2016–2021 | Sam Mac | Edwina Bartholomew | ||
| 2021–present | Edwina Bartholomew | |||
Current presenters who have been fill-in hosts or co-hosts ofSunrise in recent times includeEdwina Bartholomew,Monique Wright,David Woiwod,Kylie Gillies,Michael Usher,Mike Amor,Mark Beretta,Larry Emdur andChris Reason.[30]
Fill-in presenters for other roles, in order from most likely to be used to least likely to be used:
Other presenters who have either filled in presentingSunrise in the past includeAndrew O'Keefe,Kellie Sloane,Matt Doran,Matt White,Mike Munro,Nick McArdle,Ben Davis,Chris Reason,Bruce McAvaney,Jennifer Keyte,Sarah Cumming, Teegan Dolling, Mylee Hogan,Ann Sanders,Jessica Rowe,Emmy Kubainski, Rosanna Mangiarelli,Ryan Phelan,Sharyn Ghidella,Basil Zempilas, Kendall Gilding, Peta Jane Madam,Jim Wilson andBen Damon.
| 7NEWS/Sunrise correspondents and reporter/s | City/state |
|---|---|
| Katie Brown | Varies |
| Liam Tapper (primary) Sam Payne (secondary) | Sydney |
| Teegan Dolling (primary) Andrew McCormack (secondary) | Melbourne |
| Georgie Chumbley (primary) Liam Bland (secondary) | Brisbane |
| Georgia Costi | Gold Coast |
| Hayden Nelson | Adelaide |
| Matt Tinney | Perth |
| Presenter | Role | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Craig James Tom Piotrowski | Finance Editor | 2002–present |
| Shaun White | Consumer correspondent | 2016–present |
| Mark Riley | Political editor | 2004–present |
| Tim Lester | Political reporter | 2025–present |
| Mylee Hogan Rob Scott | US correspondents | 2023–present 2025–present |
| Ben Downie Jacquelin Robson | Europe correspondents | 2024–present 2025–present |
| Tony Auden | Meteorologist | 2016–present |
| Steve Hargrave | Entertainment | 2012–present |
| Ginni Mansberg | GP | 2012–present |
| Presenter | Role | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Melissa Doyle | Co-host | 1997–1999 2002–2013 |
| David Koch | Co-host | 1997–1999 2002–2023 |
| Georgie Gardner | Co-host | 2000–2002 |
| Chris Reason | Co-host | 2002 |
| Samantha Armytage | Co-host | 2013–2021 |
| Natalie Barr | News | 2002–2021 |
| Nuala Hafner | Entertainment | 2009 |
| Fifi Box | Entertainment | 2010–2012 |
| Edwina Bartholomew | Entertainment | 2016–2021 |
| Monique Wright | Weather | 2006–2007 |
| David Brown | Weather | 2008 |
| Fifi Box | Weather | 2009 |
| Grant Denyer | Weather | 2004–2006 2010–2013 |
| Edwina Bartholomew | Weather | 2013–2016 |
Prior to the 2002 relaunch of the program there were various presenters and hosts. Hosts included,Georgie Gardner &Mark Beretta (2000–2001),Andrew Daddo &Joh Griggs (Olympic Sunrise),Melissa Doyle & Nick McArdle (1998–1999),Melissa Doyle &David Koch (1997),Chris Bath &David Koch (1996),Chris Bath &Peter Ford (1996) and Darren McDonald who hosted the original program in 1991.
Chris Reason was the original co-host withMelissa Doyle for the 2002 relaunch, whileMonique Wright,David Brown andFifi Box were previous weather presenters. Brown resigned from his role in July 2008, with no replacement until 2009, during which various presenters filled in, being Fifi Box.[31] On 24 January 2010 it was announced that the original presenterGrant Denyer would return to the weather and Fifi Box would move to entertainment replacingNuala Hafner.[32] In March 2013, Denyer resigned as weather presenter for the second time to spend more time with his family.[33]
In June 2013, Doyle announced that she was moving to a network prime-time role with the Seven Network and would be leavingSunrise after 14 years.Samantha Armytage was to be her immediate replacement. This came not long after Denyer resigned as weather presenter, with his replacement being former Sydney correspondentEdwina Bartholomew. Doyle's final regular appearance as host onSunrise aired on 9 August 2013.
In January 2016,Edwina Bartholomew announced that she would be leaving her role as weather presenter to joinDavid Koch,Samantha Armytage,Natalie Barr andMark Beretta at the desk.
In June 2020, Bartholomew would become news presenter on Mondays and Fridays, replacingNatalie Barr who co-hosts on those days respectively.[8] However this would be short lived, with Barr returning to full time duties as news presenter in September 2020.
In March 2021, Samantha Armytage announced that she would be resigning as co-host, to spend more time with her family. Her final show was on 11 March 2021.Natalie Barr was announced as her replacement, withEdwina Bartholomew stepping into Barr's position of news presenter.
On 29 May 2023, David Koch announced his departure from Sunrise, ending a 21-year run on the Seven breakfast show.[13]Matt Shirvington was announced as his replacement on 5 June 2023.[14][15] Koch's last show was on 9 June 2023.
In 2003, an interview aired live with Sue Butler from theMacquarie Dictionary on the topic of swearing and what was acceptable, during which Butler used the term "fuckwit" as an example of what was not acceptable. Doyle and Koch immediately ended the interview and apologised afterwards, though many complaints were still received.[34]
In 2006, David Koch read the joke of the day, which involved then Prime MinisterJohn Howard, his wifeJanette,Kim Beazley, and "a message written in urine in the snow". Koch anticipated thousands of complaints even before he made the joke. There was an "extreme backlash" from the public, resulting in Channel Seven ownerKerry Stokes forcing Koch to write a letter of apology to Howard. Howard has not forgiven Koch for the joke and as of 2014 still refuses to appear onSunrise.[35]
Also in 2006, a number of people includingSunrise presenters David Koch and Melissa Doyle, news presenter Natalie Barr, executive producerAdam Boland and Melbourne news presenterJennifer Keyte and formerToday Tonight hostNaomi Robson faced court convictions over a story run in 2004 relating to a 14-year-old boy who "divorced" his mother. Under the Victorian Children and Young Persons Act, publishing the identity of a child involved in Children's Court proceedings is prohibited. While theSunrise cast and crew were cleared of any wrongdoing, the Seven Network itself was ultimately held responsible.[36]
Later in 2006, upon the rescue of trapped miners Brant Webb and Todd Russell in the aftermath of theBeaconsfield mine collapse, David Koch was invited into an ambulance. This led to rival the Nine Network andToday calling him an "ambulance chaser".[37]
In April 2007, reports surfaced that the show was lobbyingVietnamese authorities to hold anANZAC Day dawn service early so it could be broadcast live on television in Australia.[38] Koch denied on-air that any such lobbying had occurred. His claim was proven false upon the release of email communications from the office of then opposition leaderKevin Rudd. After considerable political fallout over the alleged request, opposition leaderKevin Rudd and Liberal ministerJoe Hockey decided to end their regular weekly appearances on the program.[39]
In a March 2008 episode Koch and Doyle were ambushed by a group of protesters chanting and carrying placards that claimed "Channel 7 doesn't pay", a reference tocontroversy surrounding the reported non-payment of winnings toNational Bingo Night audience members and home viewers.[40] The group, posing as fans of guestKeith Urban, were moved away by security.[41] Koch later blamed the incident on the Nine Network'sA Current Affair, a theory that was lent credence when the same protesters appeared on that night's episode of the program.[42] Both Koch and co-host Melissa Doyle promised to look into their allegations[40] but later simply read a statement from the network.
In August 2009, the show was criticised for insinuating thatthe killers of James Bulger had been secretly resettled in Australia while promoting an episode of Seven's crime dramaCity Homicide that referenced the case.[43]
In April 2010, a scheduled concert for Canadian teen singerJustin Bieber, at Circular Quay, Sydney, was cancelled at 5:00 am by order of police after the crowd of more than 5,000 people (mainly teenage girls) had begun acrowd crush and were ignoring the orders of the crowd controllers. Eight people were taken to hospital for their injuries and others suffered fromhyperventilation.[44][45] The concert was then moved to theSunrise studios at Martin Place.Sunrise had been promoting the concert for two weeks beforehand, creating a significant amount of excitement and anticipation. It was also alleged that Bieber swore at a floor manager but was reassured by Bieber's regular sound technician that "he tells us that all the time". Bieber, however, has denied this,[46] publicly denouncing the claims as "lies and rumors" spread by "adults".[47]
In March 2015, Armytage was accused of racism in an on-air interview on the programme, after congratulating a woman for looking whiter than her twin. After an online petition was signed by over 2,000 people calling for her to apologise, she did so.[48]
In February 2016, actressKristin Davis appeared on the show to discuss her work with theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in which she also reluctantly took part in aSex and The City themed skit which was received poorly by viewers.[49] On Twitter Davis expressed her annoyance thatSunrise focused on her role inSex and The City instead of her work with the UNHCR, and the incident led to Armytage, who was meant to MC and conduct an interview with Davis at a UNHCR event in Sydney, being disinvited to the event.[50][51]
In April 2024, following theBondi Junction stabbings, a 20-year-old Sydney university student was incorrectly identified as the attacker during a live cross withSunrise presenters; the student's identity and misinformation falsely linking him to the attack had been circulated online and was reported by the programme without verification.[52] Seven subsequently issued an apology for the error after police announced that a 40-year-old Queensland man was responsible for the attack, and later launched in internal investigation into the incident.[52][53] In response, the student falsely accused of being the attacker sought legal representation for defamation action against Channel 7.[54] The defamation case was settled later in the month, with Seven acknowledging their error was "a grave mistake".[55]
On 13 March 2018, Armytage hosted a segment onSunrise focusing on Aboriginal adoption, during which she incorrectly stated that Aboriginal children could not befostered by white people and stated that "Post-Stolen Generation, there's been a huge move to leave Aboriginal children where they are, even if they're being neglected in their own families";[56] in addition, guestPrue MacSween said that most of the Stolen Generation were taken for their own well-being and suggested "we need to do it again, perhaps".[56] The segment was widely criticised for these remarks, as well as for only including white people on the discussion panel and for not seeking any input from any Aboriginal people or experts on the subject.
Consequently, protests were held outside theSunrise studio inMartin Place in response to the segment on 15 March, which lead to further outrage when the programme chose to obscure the protest from viewers watching the live broadcast, citing a possible breach in broadcast standards.[57][58] In response to the controversy, the following week Koch presented a discussion on the issue with a panel of Indigenous experts.[59] Despite this, protests continued during the show's live broadcasts at the2018 Commonwealth Games on theGold Coast in April,[60] while in May rock bandPortugal. The Man pulled out of an appearance on the show citing the recent statements aired onSunrise.[61] The segment later came under the investigation of theAustralian Communications and Media Authority for potential breach of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice;[62] in September 2018 the ACMA concluded that the segment was in breach of the code, as it contained inaccurate statements and "strong negative generalisations about Indigenous people as a group".[63]
The segment also usedfile footage of members of theYirrkala community, who sued Seven for defamation, breach of privacy and confidence, racial discrimination and breach of Australian consumer law in April 2019. The footage was originally filmed for a health promotion in Yirrkala, but was reused with only slight blurring for the segment.[64] In December 2019 Seven settled the matter out of court, and offered an unreserved apology to the community which was also broadcast on the program the following month.[65] In June 2020, Armytage and MacSween were sued for racial vilification over the segment.[66] Since the segment, MacSween has not been invited to appear again on the program.[67]
Seven aired a general apology for airing the segment on the program on 4 January 2021. A number of commentators criticised the apology, with some questioning its sincerity while others noted the length of time between the airing of the original segment and the apology, as well as the fact that Seven aired it early in the morning (at 6:45am) and during the summer when less viewers would be watching the programme than usual.[68][69] In April 2022, formerSunrise executive producer Michael Pell admitted that in retrospect the execution of the segment, including the choice of MacSween as guest and the limited time devoted to discussing the sensitive topic, was "regrettable" and "one of the biggest downsides" of his 11 year tenure with the program.[67]
Occasionally, in the event of major breaking news,Sunrise may run overtime to cover the story, resulting inThe Morning Show either airing later or not airing at all.
During 2008's World Youth Day in Sydney,Sunrise was extended on Thursday, 17 July and Monday, 21 July to cover the Pope's morning Masses and the departure of the Pope respectively. Both of those editions ended at 9:30 am withThe Morning Show picking up the rest of the coverage.
Sunrise was extended on 13 October 2010 to cover the2010 Copiapó mining accident, on 27 February 2012 to cover the Labor leadership ballot,and on 30 October 2012 to coverHurricane Sandy.
On 22 January 2013,Sunrise commenced at 3:00 am and concluded at 10:00 am to cover the inauguration of Barack Obama. Normal early morning programming did not air. On 29 January,Sunrise was extended to 11:00 am to cover flooding in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales.
Following the birth ofPrince George, Melissa Doyle fronted an extended edition of the program for two days, live from outside Buckingham Palace. David Koch and Samantha Armytage also appeared in a reduced role back in the studio. The extended version began at 5:00 am, replacingSunrise Extra and theEarly News, with Doyle also contributing reports toThe Morning Show which began at its regular time of 9:00 am.
On 9 August 2013 a specialSunrise edition ofThis Is Your Life aired throughout the program to farewell the outgoing Sunrise hostMelissa Doyle. Throughout the program special guests includingDannii Minogue,Joe Hockey and thenPrime Minister of AustraliaKevin Rudd made a video message to farewell Mel.Seven West Media CEOTim Worner andKerry Stokes appeared paying tribute. Throughout the show thehashtag #farewellmel trended on Twitter.
On 28 March 2017,Sunrise was extended to 1.00pm to coverCyclone Debbie.
On Friday 9 September 2022, after the announcement of the death of Her Majesty QueenElizabeth II, an extended edition of Sunrise aired from 5:00am until 12 noon, with David Koch and Natalie Barr providing wall-to-wall coverage. All on-air talent wore black, in line with royal protocol for national mourning, up to and including the late Queen's funeral on 19 September 2022.
Sunrise and itsNine Network rivalToday remain close in the ratings, with the gap between the two often being less than 50,000 viewers inSunrise's favour.
On Good Friday 2009,Sunrise suffered its first one-day ratings defeat nationally againstToday since 2004. In 2011,Sunrise suffered its first weekly ratings defeat againstToday since the same year.[70] In 2016, after twelve straight years of ratings dominance,Sunrise dropped to second place behindToday,[71] but reclaimed the lead in the breakfast battle the following year.[72][73]
News Breakfast has outratedSunrise twice since its debut in November 2008, the latest on 23 May 2022 in the aftermath of the2022 Australian federal election.[74]
Because Australia has more than onetime zone,Sunrise is not broadcast live to all of Australia, it is insteadbroadcast delayed.Australian Capital Territory,New South Wales,Tasmania, andVictoria haveSunrise broadcast live all year round, andQueensland hasSunrise broadcast live in wintertime, but duringDaylight Saving Time in Sydney has the program delayed by one hour. TheNorthern Territory hasSunrise delayed 30 minutes during winter and 90 minutes during Daylight Savings in Sydney.South Australia has it delayed by 30 minutes all year around and Western Australia has it delayed by two hours in wintertime and by three hours during Daylight Savings in Sydney.
Occasionally, broadcasts ofSunrise are altered during special circumstances. On the morning of 20 March 2006, whenSunrise was normally on a one-hour delay in Queensland, the program was broadcast live in order to provide immediate and up-to-date information on TropicalCyclone Larry to local residents. The show continued to be broadcast until 10am Sydney time only in to Queensland to continue these updates and prevent scheduling problems.
On most public holidays, Sunrise is extended to 10 am, thus adding an additional hour to its telecast, and has at times had a studio audience for these special events.
Sunrise usedDuran Duran's "(Reach Up for The) Sunrise" as its theme song until 2010 whenMGMT's "Electric Feel" replaced it. In October 2011, "(Reach Up for The) Sunrise" was reinstated as the theme song. As of the 2007 refresh of the show, the show uses a combination of the Ferry Corsten and Jason Nevins' remixes for its opening sequence.
Formerly, it had used a more traditional morning news theme before switching to the song. In the past it has also used theSeven News theme which was based on the John Williams piece "The Mission".
