Sophy Ridge argues why breakfast television is still the pinnacle of broadcasting

This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.

When it comes to broadcasting, breakfast television is the premier slot, the pinnacle. It’s a privilege when people decide to start their day with you and it should never be taken for granted.

The giants of breakfast television – Frank Bough and Selina Scott, David Frost, Angela Rippon, Michael Parkinson and more recently, Eamonn Holmes, Susanna Reid and Kay Burley – knew that. They somehow transcended the role of television presenter, becoming something much more intimate: almost an extension of the family, there in the background while you have your cereal, pester the kids to find their shoes or search for your house keys.

But I’m going to be blunt: morning broadcasting needs an overhaul. The media landscape is going through an unprecedented change. I’m 40 years old and my peers almost exclusively get their news through their mobile phones. According to Ofcom, 52 per cent of adults now use social media as a news source and 71 per cent get their news online.

It was a different world when Bough and Scott launched Breakfast Time in 1983 when there were only four television channels (Channel 4 having launched a year earlier). But “traditional broadcasters” shouldn’t fear change – it brings challenges, but far more opportunities. I’m optimistic about what it means.

We have an audience that is more interested in the news than ever. A decade ago, I vox-popped people outside a Labour conference who couldn’t even tell me that the party leader was Ed Miliband. That would never happen today. People are hyper engaged in politics and international affairs – they have opinions and are more informed than at any time I can remember. Rather than turning away from the news, the audience is turning towards it.

And in a world where it can feel like truth is under attack, we shouldn’t underestimate the public. Our audiences are discerning, informed and engaged and they want trustworthy and impartial journalism. As broadcasters, we need to follow the audience to where they are and not expect them to follow us.

This is the context in which Sky News is launching its new breakfast programme: Mornings with Ridge and Frost. Along with my co-presenter Wilfred Frost and our programme editor Emily Purser, we hope to shake up the morning news and make it fit for a digital age.

Before moving to Mornings, I presented a nightly programme on Sky News, The Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge. One of its most surprising – and heartening – successes was the opening monologue, which became known as “Sophy’s Thought”. This was unashamedly analytical.

I remember persuading my sceptical team to do it on the “fiscal drag”, not exactly the sexiest subject, but we soon discovered a huge appetite online for going deeper into stories and issues, whether the nitty gritty of policy or topics like rape conviction rates and maternal healthcare. We’ll be continuing that on Mornings, with digital videos made for an engaged and demanding audience who get their news through their mobile phones.

The podcast sphere is flooded with high calibre journalism – whether Electoral Dysfunction, The News Agents or Political Thinking. We’ll also have a 10-minute podcast – Cheat Sheet – on your feeds by 6am. It’s a fast-paced rundown of the five stories you need to know about, curated by Wilf and I, with information and analysis for busy listeners who want to stay up to date but don’t have time to buckle in for a 45-minute podcast.

Breakfast television is the broadcasting pinnacle because of its intimate relationship with the audience, and that’s also the best thing about broadcasting in the multi-platform age. You get to know your viewers – they can talk back to you! We’ll be inviting our audience to do this, making the bond stronger than ever.

I like to think that Frank Bough and Selina Scott would fully approve.

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