The figures will sting for Nine execs who took a bet on Karl winning back audiences on the ailing breakfast show after ditching the presenter last year.
“It is going to be a long game, the audience isn’t going to break their viewing habit quickly,” an industry executive told Daily Telegraph's Confidential.
“It was premature for people to get excited by the first week’s figures. The brief honeymoon that accompanied the return of Karl with his new on air partner Allison Langdon at this stage was short lived. Sam [Armytage] and Kochie [David Koch] don’t seem to have too much to worry about yet.”
New Idea reported in December that Nine are going all out in a bid to make their latest version of the Today breakfast show a hit - even going as far as to change the name of Allison Langdon in a bid to make her "more relatable" alongside their resident rogue, Karl Stefanovic.
A TV insider told New Idea: "Allison will now be known as 'Ally' as they think it will make her more relatable and down-to-earth as they try and rebrand her from serious news journalist to fun, energetic breakfast show host.
"Ally is also what she is known as to friends and family, even though 'Allison' has always been her professional title - until now. It will take some getting used to for TV fans.
"Let's just hope she doesn't lose what is so special about her - and that is her fantastic current affairs know-how. She should be there as a co-host to Karl holding her own, rather than as someone to pump Karl's tyres and laugh at his, at times, lame jokes, which has unfortunately been the role of some of his former female co-hosts.
"Nine will do anything at this stage to beat Seven's Sunrise team of Samantha Armytage and David 'Kochie' Koch, who continue to thrash them in the television ratings battle."
