A model outrage. When will the News Ltd tabloids really investigate what is going on at the Foxtel program, Australia’s Next Top Model ? I know it’s a related program: News Ltd owns 25% of Foxtel, and they are loath to do any sort of real investigation of anything to do with the Murdoch family. So when last week’s publicity about bullying on Australia’s Next Top Model became known, the story got a small News Ltd mention. But if it had been on another network or high profile program or presenter, or in the education system, then the tabloids would have been all across the story, screaming for blood. But because it’s a Foxtel program, it’s a protected species. Even Seven’s Today Tonight ran a clip that highlighted the bullying. But News Ltd tabloids didn’t call for anyone to be sacked or for the ringleader to be evicted. Why not!? But is there a more intriguing story? I’m told there’s an ironic twist to the program that will emerge. It involves the winner, or the person said to be the winner. The person said to be the winner of the program was involved in the bullying… Let’s hope there’s a change of mind and there’s now a strategic eviction, in the interests of showing everyone that you can’t win through bullying and harassment. Just imagine if this had occurred on Big Brother last night: it would be all over the News Ltd tabloids, which would be in full howl! — Glenn Dyer

Sunday’s decline . It used to be the heavyweight of Australian political TV but now Sunday, judging by its website, doesn’t know what party Malcolm Turnbull belongs to.

Caught Offside. Crikey reader Luke Hughes laments:

The ABC is supposed to represent the highest standards of journalism in Australia. But surely it can hire people who write basic English… In one short web page, the ABC Offsiders homepage makes thirteen errors, embarrassing for a program that’s designed to inform the more high-minded sports fan. Is this a record? These errors are rather more than typos:

Disapointing (1st mistake) crowds at Gold Coast – The panel talk about the dissapointing (2nd) crowd at the AFL at the Gold Coast last night and in which cities the biggest crowds are (3rd – shocking English).

Waratahs have home final – There (4th) results for the Super 14’s are close to perfect, with two New Zealand teams playing at home and Australia vs South Africa in Sydney. (Sentence makes no sense – 5th)

Player movement an issue again – The panel talk about the issue of player movement after ARU Cheif (6th) Executive John O’Neil commented on the Europeans and their agressive (7th) recruiting tactics.

Cricket players wear beer sponses (8th) as they represent Australia – The Australian team turned up at their preliminary game, before their test matchs’ (9th, and bad English, 10th) wearing beer caps (what are beer caps?), rather than their standard navy green caps (what is navy green? 11th).

The latest in Horse racing (12th) – Gerard Whateley offers the offers the news (!!?? 13th) from the Doomben races in Brisbane.

A network cat fight: Seven v Ten. The Seven Network has replied to the attack on it and CEO David Leckie by Ten Network’s chief, Grant Blackley. Blackley made his remarks in an article in The Australian newspaper’s Media section on Thursday of last week. In a reply sent to media buyers, advertisers and others in the industry this morning, Seven replied:

Grant Blackley from TEN (No: 3 Network), expressed concern for Seven (No: 1 Network) in the press last week. It’s a bit like Eric the Eel and Grant Hackett in the pool – miles apart (have we mentioned that we have the Olympic Games this year?)

Seven is comfortable with its position in 2008. Granted, Seven didn’t start the year off as well as it did last year, but hey, that was Seven’s best performance, EVER. And Grant, we haven’t thrown the towel in after just 12 survey weeks – we have 28 survey weeks to go and Seven has so much to offer! Does TEN?

TEN have done their usual program stint in throwing everything up front and leaving nothing enticing for the backend. Their success, a low benchmark being No: 3 Network, has mainly been due to two programs which were televised consistently throughout the week to enable some appearances in the top weekly ranking.

TEN expressed concern on Seven’s position in 2008 but something is for sure, Seven will easily beat TEN, as they will continue their usual position as the No: 3 Network.

Seven said that now that TEN’s two big properties are over (The Biggest Loser and So You Think You Can Dance) it is “hanging on with Big Brother which is proving not so BIG. In the last couple of weeks, TEN has dropped their audience by 2.8% for People 16-39, 2.3% for People 18-49, 1.8% for People 25-54 and 1.7% for Grocery Buyers.” — Glenn Dyer

Satin nights. Crikey’s satin watch continued unabated over the weekend — and we were rewarded with gems. The look of Sky News has truly gone mainstream. In Friday night’s edition of Today Tonight (video here), presenter Anna Coren showed she could balance the serious with the frivolous in a shirt that was tailored yet frilly, grey yet shiny. (What is it with female presenters and silver?)

In Fairfax’s Sunday Life magazine, meanwhile, Sandra Sully demonstrated why she’s at the top of her game. She understands satin appeal, flirting with readers in a gun-metal grey jacket that’s like a bullet to your retina. Hey there.

 

Last night’s TV ratings
The Winners: Seven News at the top with 1.654 million, 60 Minutes second with 1.568 million and Nine News third with 1.543 million. Seven’s Gladiators averaged 1.379 million at 6.30pm and just beat Nine’s new program, Domestic Blitz (which isn’t good). CSI averaged 1.344 million at 8.30pm and the ABC’s 7.30pm program Wild China was 6th with 1.234 million. Grey’s Anatomy averaged 1.192 million for Seven at 8.30pm and the 7pm ABC News averaged 1.175 million. My Name Is Earl averaged 1.128 million in 10th spot for Seven at 8pm and the Big Brother Live Eviction averaged 1.097 million people.

The Losers: Well, Big Brother at 6.30pm, 896,000, Brothers and Sisters at 9.30pm on Seven, 821,000, Rove on Ten at 9pm, 802,000. Most Shocking on Seven at 7.30pm: 916,000. Hasn’t Seven got a program strong enough for the prime 7.30pm slot on Sunday nights any more? Ugly Betty is dying on Wednesday nights. It was used at 7.30pm Sundays last year until it faded.

News & CA: Seven News won nationally But needed its big margin in Perth of 147,000 over Nine to win. It also won Brisbane, but lost Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. Ten News averaged 716,000; SBS News at 6.30pm averaged 262,000, quite a high figure. In the mornings Weekend Sunrise from 8am, 434,000, Landline on the ABC at Nine, 296,000, Insiders at 9am on the ABC, 225,000, Early Sunrise at 7.30am 205,000, Inside Business on the ABC at 10am, 167,000, Offsiders on the ABC at 10.30am, 154,000, Sunday on Nine at 7.30am, 153,000, Meet The Press on Ten at 8am, 56,000. Were the Sunday morning audiences up on the week before because of the Federal Budget?

The Stats: Nine won with a share of 29.7 (32.3%) from Seven with 26.0% (27.6%), Ten with 19.0% (20.7%), the ABC with 19.3% (13.8%) and SBS with 6.0% (5.6%). Nine won all five metro markets and also won regional areas with 33.5% for WIN/NBN, 24.5% for Prime/7Qld, 16.1% for Southern Cross (Ten), 19.9% for the ABC and 6.0% for SBS). Nine will win the week because of the Rugby league State of Origin Wednesday night will give it a big enough margin to withstand a challenge from Seven, which won last week. Ten is facing a bitter 10 weeks.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Big Brother is hanging in there but with audiences 7% off from last year’s low point, it’s dying on screen before our very eyes. And there will be a shorter year this year: 12 weeks instead of 15. Last night it was Ten’s only program with a million or more viewers for the eviction episode. It’s hurting Rove (892,000) from 9pm. It struggled against the ABC’s program from 8.30 to 9.30pm called The Sally Lockhart Mysteries (916,000). Brothers and Sisters on Seven at 9.30pm averaged 821,000 and Rove was well beaten by the back end of Grey’s which ranked high among younger viewers — which is Rove’s demo. Domestic Blitz started on Nine at 6.30pm and it is a shameless rip-off of Backyard Blitz . It’s going to be another tough night for Ten tonight. BB won’t help, Ho w To look Good Naked is only half an hour and won’t lift viewers and Good News Week has been replaced by a debate from the Comedy Festival with Big Brother Big Mouth on at 9.30pm. Nine has  Spy In The Jungle series (part one of three), Sea Patrol , and CSI New York. Seven has Border Security, Surf Patrol  Desperate Housewives and Boston Legal. The ABC has a recut of outtakes from Enough Rope at 9.35pm, Australian Story, Four Corners on China and the Olympics and Media Watch .

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports