Sunset for Sunrise Host

TV3 presenter in shock departure
Morning television presenter James Coleman has announced he is leaving TV3's breakfast show Sunrise in a shock departure, effective immediately.
Coleman, a former radio DJ, has been a co-presenter on the show alongside Carly Flynn since it began in October, 2007. “I've been with the show for a year now and I feel that it's an appropriate time to pursue some exciting new opportunities that have arisen within MediaWorks, both in radio and television," Coleman said in a statement.
This morning was Coleman's last appearance on the show. His position will be filled by Ali Ikram until a replacement is announced "in the coming weeks". Sunrise has struggled in the ratings against its competitor, TV One's Breakfast, with viewer numbers hovering around the 20,000-30,000 mark.

Well it’s not a surprise for anyone who has been watching this. Sunrise always was a hard sell, it never decided what it was, Breakfast on TVNZ is Conservative Blue Ribbon, to be different Sunrise either had to be hard News with a liberal lean or fun breakfast news like they have in Britain. The odd set and presenters who never gelled with any warmth was never going to rate, and it didn’t. Andrew Szusterman, a guy I’ve worked with and respect has been given the task of turning Sunrise around, this was a bold move and there are sure to be more, Sunrise may yet shine. It will be interesting to see where Szusterman takes Sunrise.