Channel 10's flagship show The Project was once a juggernaut in the ratings, premiering to an impressive 1.2 million viewers in 2009.
But in recent years, the show has suffered with a wide range of issues which have seen them plummet - with just 267,000 tuning in on Monday night.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, TV Blackbox's Robert McKnight said major oversights are putting the future of the current affairs show at risk - from overpaid hosts, to lack of revenue and the show's political stance.
In trouble: While The Project may be one of Network 10's flagship programs, it's plagued by a wide range of problems, which has put its future at risk. Pictured, the show's panelists
'The biggest thing that will kill The Project is if it's not making revenue. But there's a bigger issue at play,' the TV producer said.
McKnight explained that the long-running current affairs program had 'raised plenty of eyebrows' with Network 10's parent company, Viacom CBS.
The US company bought 10 in August 2017, after the Australian network was placed into receivership, according to a report by Variety at the time.
According to McKnight, Viacom CBS has struggled to understand how The Project - which is owned by Rove McManus' production company, Roving Enterprises - manages to wield so much power at the network.
Plagued by problems: Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, TV Blackbox's Robert McKnight (pictured) explained that the show's issues ranged from poor ratings to overpaid hosts
He said Roving Enterprises is able to use 'all of Channel 10's resources from the news department and is then getting paid a motza to deliver The Project'.
'In the States, The Project would be an internal production. So CBS and Viacom are not happy about the commercial arrangement 10 has with Roving Enterprises,' McKnight continued.
He added: 'Viacom CBS are scratching their heads saying, "This is the worst deal in history," because The Project has access to everything from the news department from 10.
'The biggest thing that will kill The Project is if it's not making revenue. But there's a bigger issue at play,' the renowned TV producer began. Pictured, The Project's Waleed Aly and Lisa Wilkinson
'And the news department can't even say no to The Project using anything. The Project has absolute rights to use whatever they want. That's not a good deal when a production company has so much power.'
The Project was even immune to staff cuts at Network 10 thanks to its contract with Roving Enterprises, which cannot be altered until it's time to renegotiate the deal, according to a report by Daily Mail Australia in August last year.
Furthermore, McKnight said 'is so left and woke, it is not connecting with mainstream Australia'.
Red flags: McKnight explained that the long-running current affairs program had 'raised plenty of eyebrows' with Network 10's parent company, Viacom CBS. Pictured, panelist Carrie Bickmore
'They've got a very left agenda, and it's not just centrist left, it's a little bit further to the left,' he added.
'If you look at every successful format that works in this country, especially talkback radio, they all skew right.
'So, 10 and The Project are going against the grain, and it's getting more and more woke as the years go on.'
'In the States, The Project would be an internal production. So CBS and Viacom are not happy about the commercial arrangement 10 has with Roving Enterprises,' McKnight said
While McKnight said he couldn't fault the show's panellists, who he described as 'fantastic', people still aren't tuning in.
According to a report by Mediaweek on Tuesday, The Project only pulled in 267,000 viewers at 6.30pm on Monday night.
This increased at 7pm, with the show's viewership increasing to 472,000.
Not enough: While McKnight said he couldn't fault the show's panelists, who he described as 'fantastic', he said people still weren't
