Things really do take longer in Tasmania. Tasmanians have every right to feel aggrieved by whoever (or whatever) organised this week’s lunar eclipse. While mainlanders were turning their eyes and telescopes skyward on Tuesday night, Tasmanians were forced to wait another 24 hours for the earth to slide between the sun and the moon, creating a breathtaking celestial lightshow. For those who missed “last night’s” exclusive Tasmanian eclipse, the ever vigilant Mercury carried a report and photographs of it on its website this morning. — Thomas Hunter

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Westacott the survivor spins on. The Nine Network was out spinning like mad yesterday, promoting two of its newer guns in the ratings war. In today’s Australian Media section News and Current Affairs boss, John Westacott was spruiking his wares, while in the Daily Telegraph, 60-year-old Don Burke confirming that he’s coming back to Nine (a story Crikey broke several months ago but Nine said it wasn’t happening). It’s more Cocoon TV from Willoughby, but Westacott is survivor who has outlasted a series of Nine Network CEOs and this was once again on display in the Oz interview:

But he (Westie) has backed the leadership of Ian Law, the chief executive of PBL Media – which owns Nine – and Jeff Browne, Nine’s executive director: “You’ve got two blokes running the place with a basic skill set that can get the place back on a financial footing … Law’s hugely experienced in running media businesses and Browne’s a smart man.”

Well, if Law is so good, why is West Australian Newspapers selling the 50% of Hoyts cinemas he put the company into (with PBL!) at a written down value of $145 million (a loss of around $60 million)? And Jeff Browne’s skill set is in legal contracts, not the commercial operations of a TV Network. But considering both were instrumental in Westie getting the News And Current Affairs gig, what else would he be expected to say? — Glenn Dyer 

Cunning Browne sells a red herring. SBS managing director, Shaun Browne, has succeeded in diverting attention from the shortcomings of his reign at the broadcaster, and the shortcomings in oversight from the organisation’s board. He was at the National Press Club in Canberra yesterday where he pressed the “ABC takeover threat” button in front of a bunch of press gallery reporters who know a good red herring when they are led to one.

So while the continuing story is the damage he and the board are doing to SBS, with the latest manifestation of that the Mary Kostakidis saga, Mr Browne got considerable play this morning from playing the merger card. Here’s an example from The Age:

The Howard Government is considering delivering a pre-election funding boost for cash-strapped SBS and has ruled out a merger between it and the ABC.

The Government was forced to rule out a merger yesterday after claims from SBS managing director Shaun Brown that a serious proposal had been put to senior politicians in Canberra by former ABC managing director Russell Balding. Mr Balding declined to comment on the allegation last night.

But poor Malcolm Farr in the Daily Telegraph fell for the takeover line hook and sinker in a story (not online) headlined “Plan for SBS, ABC merger”: “The Federal Government has been asked to consider merging SBS with the ABC – a move that could lead to advertising on the flagship national broadcaster.” Browne told Amanda Meade in The Australian’s Media section last week that:

… the former managing director of the ABC, Russell Balding, had put a partial merger proposal to the Government shortly before he left to take up a position at Sydney airport. “It was a proposal kept very tightly under wraps,” he says. “It was not made known to me at the time. It didn’t go anywhere, and I am pleased to see that (new ABC managing director) Mark Scott does not intend to pursue it.”

That should have been the end of the story, but the cunning chap dragged it out and trailed across the faces of news hungry hacks at a Canberra lunch and off they went, baying for blood. — Glenn Dyer

Last night’s TV ratings
The Winners: No Thank God You’re Here on Ten and seemingly half a million viewers went missing, because they didn’t show up on other networks. The final ep of this series of House averaged 1.671 million, ahead of the 4th Idol semi with 1.457 million. Seven News was next with 1.354 million and House: Behind The Scenes averaged 1.354 million for Ten at 9.30pm. A Current Affair had 1.286 million, followed by Spicks And Specks (1.286 million), Nine News (1.248 million), Today Tonight (1.248 million) and Home And Away (1.248 million), ahead of Temptation (1.162 million). Seven’s 7.30pm program, Most Shocking averaged 1.156 million, RPA averaged 1.087 million at 8.30pm and the 7pm ABC News had 1.037 million. Nine’s Without A Trace averaged 978,000 at 9.30pm and The Chaser repeat had 944,000.

The Losers: Seven last night — repeating The Force at 8.30pm (800,000). Seven has decided to mark time on Wednesday nights (Nine does it Mondays and/or Tuesdays, Ten on Thursdays and Friday nights lately, but not tonight). Air Crash Investigations at 9.30pm on Seven with 790,000 beat Murder Squad at 9pm with 717,000. Air Crash Investigations had the virtue of being interesting and a new ep, so why not swap with The Force at 8.30pm? McLeod’s Daughters only had 989,000 which was a surprise for a program that isn’t a loser.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally and in every market but Melbourne and Brisbane. A Current Affair beat Today Tonight for the second time this week (Tracy is in London — is the budget still good for the return ticket?). TT and ACA drew Sydney, while ACA was a big winner in Melbourne and Brisbane. TT won Adelaide and Perth. Ten News, 800,000; the Late News/Sports Tonight, 363,000. Nightline, 182,000. The 7.30 Report, 835,000; Lateline, 252,000; Lateline Business, 127,000. SBS News, 169,000 at 6.30pm; 233,000 in the break of the World Athletics Titles at around 9.35pm. 7am Sunrise on Seven back strongly over 400,000 to 425,000, Nine’s Today shown sharply from Tuesday’s 303,000 to 245,000 yesterday.

The Stats: Ten won with 28.0% (30.0%), from Nine with 24.8% 926.3%), Seven with 24.4% (23.8%), the ABC with 16.3% (15.8%) and SBS with 6.5% (4.0%). Ten won Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, Nine won Brisbane and Seven won Perth. Seven leads the week 28.3% to 25.3%. In regional areas though a different result with WIN/NBN winning with 26.7% from Southern Cross (Ten) with 26.2%, Prime/7Qld with 25.0%, the ABC with 15.5% and SBS with 6.6%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Ten rested the gorilla to allow a week of Idols and it worked, but many of those viewers who tune in to watch Thank God You’re Here couldn’t be bothered watching anything else. McLeod’s Daughters did worse last night (under a million viewers) than it has done this year with Thank God in the slot (McLeod’s usually averages around 1 million to 1.1 million with Thank God on Ten). Idol held its own last night: not as big as Thank God of course (more than half a million viewers lighter) but it is doing more than what Ten had hoped it would do. There is quite a high residual support level, even given the presence of Kyle Sandilands. RPA also softened, which is a shame, perhaps it will pick up next week. Tonight it’s the Sea Patrol mob which seems to be heading for shallower waters, if the viewer numbers are any guide. For the sake of Australian drama and Nine I hope it doesn’t run aground. Ten starts the next series of the US program, So You think You Can Dance. Ten is going to make a local version for 2008.

Source: OzTAM, TV Network reports