Most disingenuous obit of the week? Editor of the Monthly, Sally Warhaft writes in the Friends of the Monthly email: “With the sad demise of the Bulletin, the Monthly – at almost 3 years of age, a long time in this era, though not in history – is now Australia’s only mainstream magazine devoted to politics, society and the arts. Its readers have made it the fastest growing magazine of any kind in the past year. Thank you. We intend to continue our tradition of offering the best writing and ideas in the nation for many more years to come.”

Last night’s TV ratings
The Winners: Seven News was top with 1.482 million, Bondi Rescue returned on Ten with a very solid 1.467 million and Ten’s repeat of NCIS was third with 1.356 million (both benefited from the cricket being rained out on Nine). Today Tonight was next with 1.340 million, followed by Home And Away (1.265 million), just ahead of the 7pm ABC News (1.238 million), Nine News (1.224 million), The Biggest Loser at 7pm (1.162 million), A Current Affair (1.151 million) and The 7.30 Report (1.010 million for Red Kerry’s interview with Dr Brendan Nelson). The ABC’s controversial doco, Jihad Sheilas, averaged 889,000 at 8.30pm. The two women didn’t help themselves but at least had the courage to argue their cases. The production was mixed: was all the overlay (the pictures between the interviews) shot for that program or was there are some file vision used (the credits thanked other broadcasters)? If it was file vision or from other sources, why wasn’t it indicated on screen? The tricky out of focus bits of vision and the attempt to give the various titles a rough “film” look didn’t work and made no sense. But it was compelling.

The Losers: The rain in Brisbane meant there were no real losers. Viewers deserted Nine because they didn’t know what would replace the cricket. Nine would have struggled anyway because it was India v Sri Lanka.

News & CA: Seven News won nationally but lost Melbourne (the 7pm ABC News was number one in the news rankings) and Adelaide. Today Tonight won nationally but lost Melbourne and Brisbane. Ten News averaged 877,000; Late News/Sports Tonight, 496,000. Lateline, 237,000; Lateline Business, 137,000. SBS News, 184,000 at 6.30pm; 159,000 at 9.30pm. 7am Sunrise down to a surprise 388,000; 7am Today up to a high 314,000.

The Stats: Seven won with 29.3% from Ten with 28.1%, Nine with 19.5%, the ABC with 18.1% and SBS with 5.1%. Seven won Sydney and Perth. Ten won Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane by smaller margins. Ten still leads the week 27.6% from Seven with 26.6% and Nine with 24.7%. In regional areas Ten won with 27.9% for Southern Cross, from Prime/7Qld with 26.7%, WIN/NBN for Nine with 21.8%, the ABC with 17.5% and SBS with 6.1%. Nine suffered in regional areas without the cricket. Ten had five of the top 10 shows in the bush, including TBL.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Rain in Brisbane destroyed the night for Nine and handed a free audience to the other networks. Tonight, Nine returns The Block to our screens (as its on air promos try to tell us) in the form of The Chopping Block, which is really a reworking of Seven’s My Restaurant Rules. My Restaurant Rules was expensive and didn’t rate its socks off. Why should this be any different? Spicks and Specks and The New Inventors return on the ABC and there’s the first ep of a two-part Little Britain special as well. Ten has more of TBL and So You Think You Can Dance Australia for 90 minutes from 7.30pm. This is really milking it — will we become bored by Friday night?

Source: OzTAM, TV Network reports