ITV, which already owns 75 per cent of the early morning television show, announced that it had bought the remaining stake from Disney for £18 million.
Following the announcement, GMTV staff were told yesterday that a review would begin this week looking at, “all aspects” of the operation.
Broadcasting sources say that ITV executives have been frustrated with the ratings for the programme and now that it has complete control it could replace it with its own breakfast-style show with more a more “serious” news stories.


Despite a revamp and a new line up announced in the past 12 month – featuring Emma Crosby, the former Sky business broadcaster, and Kate Garraway – GMTV has seen ratings plummet to an average of 900,000, while BBC Breakfast and Radio 4′s Today programme have seen figures increase.
A spokeswoman for GMTV said: “Our programme will always be popular with housewives and with children and ‘high profile’ names from the leaders of all political parties to the latest evictee from the X Factor continue to choose GMTV over BBC Breakfast.”
BBC Breakfast, presented by Sian Williams and Bill Turnbull, is on average, watched by 1.2m viewers, according to Attentional, a media consultancy that provides overnight viewing figures. The Today programme now has 6.6 million listeners, an increase of nearly half a million on the same time in 2008, making it one of the most popular radio choices at breakfast.


At a meeting yesterday, Peter Fincham, ITV’s director of television, channels and online, told staff that no timetable had been set for the editorial review.
Asked about the scale of possible cuts, one of the executives at the meeting said that ITV would be looking for savings of 10 per cent. It is likely that some jobs will go. GMTV employs around 300 staff and there is some duplication with ITV.
ITV said yesterday that the acquisition would allow “closer integration between ITV and the breakfast service”.