Australia's ailing television program Breakfast, co-hosted by Paul Henry, has been cut by 30 minutes under programming changes announced by Network Ten.
From next week, Breakfast, presented by Henry and Kathryn Robinson, will run from 6am to 8:30am, instead of finishing at 9am, Ten announced today.
Meanwhile, Logie Award-winning chat show The Circle which followed Breakfast's 9am finishing time, has been axed.
Ten's chief executive James Warbuton says the decision to cut The Circle is "unfortunate" but that it wasn't "taken lightly".
Former Cleo editor and columnist Mia Freedman tweeted: "Channel 10 axes The Circle but keeps Breakfast with Paul Henry? Wait. What?"
Controversial Kiwi Henry was recently in trouble over comments about asylum seekers.
In May Henry commented on Breakfast about news reports that the Australian federal Government would pay households up to $A300 a week to accommodate asylum seekers to help deal with increasing numbers of arrivals.
"If this is all about saving money you could broaden it out. Why not criminals? Not murderers, but low-level criminals," Henry said.
But it was Henry's next comments - that putting an asylum seeker up in a linen cupboard for $300 a week was "a good idea" - that put him in hot water.
"You'd want to get the linen out, wouldn't you? Otherwise [inaudible] 'oh, these sheets are dirty. Ergh'," Henry said.
He continued: "Don't ask. These towels... [sniffs] oh no, don't ask. We've got someone living in the linen cupboard, kids, just don't go in there."
Henry was criticised on ABC's Media Watch program, which said his "sick" comments were "enough to [make you] lose your breakfast".
Henry, who joined the new Australian show's team earlier this year, is no stranger to controversy.
As host of TVNZ's Breakfast he drew criticism for comments suggesting former Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand was not a real New Zealander, and his ridicule of Indian diplomat Sheila Dikshit's name, which led to his eventual resignation.
NZN