Morgan called the commitment of a nightly show on the newly established Murdoch channel an “unnecessary straitjacket”,saying the program’s rigid format and fixed schedule were out of step with global audience demands.
Piers Morgan’s show will leave Sky News Australia.Supplied
“It’s clear there’s a huge global demand for the content we’re making … but people are watching on YouTube rather than conventional television and I have no problem with that,” Morgan said.
The decision’s local implications mean the last episode ofPiers Morgan Uncensoredon Sky News Australia will air on Friday,a spokesperson confirmed to this masthead. The network is also set to lose his digital content,which it said had generated more than 150 million views across its online channels.
Morgan’s YouTube channel under the same name currently has 2.35 million subscribers,with his videos and interviews regularly attracting hundreds of thousands,if not millions of views.
In contrast,the Sky broadcast of the nightly program in Australia,which has aired at 11pm Tuesday to Friday,has failed to attract a significant audience.
TalkTV launched in April 2022,with Morgan signing on as the channel’s star talent in a reported three-year £50 million ($89 million) deal,and his show syndicated across Sky and other outlets.
The launch came shortly after the establishment of GB News,a fellow fringe cable news channel featuring prominent conservative figures,led by former Sky News Australia chief executive.
“Piers Morgan Uncensored has driven strong online audiences across[our] digital platforms ... and has consistently ranked within our top five programs for online viewership”,a Sky News Australia spokesperson told this masthead.
“New digital-only content from Piers Morgan will be available on thePiers Morgan Uncensored YouTube channel.”
Morgan is a high-profile media figure globally,making his name at News Corp’s tabloidThe Sunbefore being appointed editor of the now-defunctNews of the Worldat just 29 years old.
He later moved to theDaily Mirror,and led the paper during a period when it was caught up the phone hacking scandal,which later led to the Leveson inquiry. Morgan now writes columns forThe SunandThe New York Post.
The move is a further shake up of Sky News’ weekly line up,with After Darkhosts Sharri Markson and Chris Kenny exchanging time slots earlier this year in a bid to attract more viewers in the primetime 8pm window.
International hosts including Morgan,Megyn Kelly,Nigel Farage and Douglas Murray have proved successful for Sky News digitally and a major contributor to the channel’s growing and influential online audience.
Chris Kenny and Sharri Markson have swapped places in Sky’s After Dark line up.Supplied
In similar fashion to Morgan’s aired concerns,Sky News’ digital audience far out-rates its traditional broadcast audience.
Outsized audiences on its YouTube and Facebook channels have led to a push away from broadcast content,instead focusing on lucrative digital audiences,particularly with an emphasis on American content,leading to fractures in its newsroom.
This masthead of the Australian channel’s digital audience is based in the United States,with audiences engaging with content on US President Joe Biden,culture wars issues and the royal family,a particular focus point for Morgan.
Morgan told online news providerSemaforthat he co-owns thePiers Morgan Uncensoredbrand with News Corp.
Former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson launched his own digital show exclusively on social media platform X in 2023 after being sacked by the Murdoch network.
The controversial media figure on Friday morning,the first with a Western journalist since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
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