Foxtel out-rated Ten. Yes, but no. Research from Credit Suisse on audience share for August, highlighted by The Sydney Morning Herald, stated the Ten Network’s audience figures in August were the “worst since the turn of the century” and that more people watched Foxtel than Ten during the Olympics. Which is like comparing apples and blue cheese.

The measurement used by Credit Suisse is for all people watching TV. As Ten’s Neil Shoebridge pointed out, advertisers buy demographics to reach specific groups of viewers (even there Ten’s share figures and viewer numbers have fallen as the list of dud programs dragged down the size of its audiences). And the story fails to mention that Foxtel has more than 200 channels (and only eight devoted to Olympics coverage) while Ten has just three. Ten’s main channel probably had more viewers than any single channel of Foxtel, but the News Corporation-managed pay-TV operator hasn’t made public (as the FTA networks do) the detailed figures of its viewing during the Games.

The audiences for all the networks bar Nine were lowered by the Olympics coverage on Nine. But when they finished, the audiences bounced back, except for Ten, which suffered the now well-publicised collapse. All this is known.

Secondly, a bit of background is needed here on ratings. In comparing ratings performance, the TV networks, advertisers and media buying groups strip out the once every four year Olympics (and the Commonwealth Games) for the purposes of looking at how the networks’ audiences vary from year to to year. But instead of comparing the August 2012 ratings with those of last year, the correct month would have been September 2008 when the Games were held in Beijing Olympics. — Glenn Dyer (read the full story here)

Front page of the day. Today’s New York Post offers tabloid outrage to the attacks to the US consulate in Libya yesterday, which saw its ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens, and three other Americans killed. The violence was allegedly sparked when a mob was outraged after viewing a YouTube trailer of what they considered an anti-Islam film.

The Department of Corrections. Who said the weather in the capital of New South Wales wasn’t predictable? From today’s Sydney Morning Herald:

ACCC concerns over Seven’s Foxtel bid

“The ACCC has withheld is decision on whether to allow Kerry Stoke’ Seven Group to acquire the shares in Consolidated Media Holdings that it currently does not own over concerns it would result in Foxtel favouring the Seven network over rival networks when it comes to acquiring sporting rights.” — The Age

Guardian has best readership: study

“A new study, which combines print and online readership figures for the first time, shows that more people in the UK read the Guardian online than in print, with the newspaper securing the highest combined readership across UK national quality titles in an average month.” — journalism.co.uk

Fairfax appoints marketing boss

“Fairfax Media has promoted former Sydney Morning Herald editor Robert Whitehead into the newly created role of head of marketing and communication in a move that seems to reduce the likelihood that the company will go externally for a high-profile chief marketing officer.” — mUmBRELLA

Cambodian journo murdered

“Cambodian authorities must immediately investigate the murder of a journalist who was found with axe wounds in the trunk of his car on Tuesday, less than a week after he had exposed an alleged military connection to the illicit timber trade, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.” — Committee to Protect Journalists