Last night we had two good examples of why we need the ABC and as much current affairs reporting a week as possible — the stories are there, the reporting talent is there, but the resources and managerial will is lacking. Four Corners (848,000 nationally) report on the toxic fire fighting foam used by the RAAF around the country and the damage it is doing to people’s lives and farms: a story first reported by 7.30 which last night had a horrifying report on the level of abuse experienced by handicapped children in NSW state schools (917,000 nationally). Both solid reports, deserved more viewers. If the ABC is going to have a Stan Grant hosted program on ABC News channel at 9pm, it can also afford to spent the pittance that will cost on a state-based current affairs panel discussion/interview program on Fridays at 7.30 pm – like the old state based 7.30 reports before they were neutered.

Australian Survivor on Ten got 890,000 nationally for the penultimate episode (which is not very good). Have You been Paying Attention — which follows Survivor — averaged 1.03 million nationally (and 9th nationally last night). In other words 141,000 people would rather watch something else than Survivor (probably watching The Block) and moved across to watch Attention which remains — in terms of cost to ratings — the best program on Ten. The Bachelorette is more expensive for the ratings it generates, while The Living Room on Friday nights is pretty cost effective as well. Have You been Paying Attention though has the added bonus of being entertaining and funny. The final of Australian Survivor is on tonight — a “who cares” end to the series. 

In regional areas last night The Block again dominated with 616,000 viewers, from Seven News with 561,000, Seven News/Today Tonight with 461,000, Home and Away was fourth with 441,000 and A Current Affair was fifth with 386,000. 

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (30.4%)
  2. Seven (23.8%)
  3. Ten (19.7%)
  4. ABC (19.2%)
  5. SBS (6.9%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (22.7%)
  2. Seven (16.3%)
  3. Ten (14.4%)
  4. ABC (14.0%)
  5. SBS ONE (4.7%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. 7TWO (3.9%)
  2. ABC 2, Gem (3.4%)
  3. 7mate (2.5%)
  4. ONE (2.9%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. The Block (Nine) — 2.002 million
  2. Seven News  — 1.527 million
  3. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.445 million
  4. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.336 million
  5. Nine/NBN News 6.30 — 1.277 million
  6. Nine/NBN News — 1.257 million
  7. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.136 million
  8. 7pm ABC News — 1.121 million
  9. Have You Been Paying Attention (Ten) — 1.031 million
  10. Highway Patrol repeat (Seven) — 890,000

Top metro programs:

  1. The Block (Nine) — 1.387 million

Losers: Ten — Australian Survivor.

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News/Today Tonight — 985,000
  2. Seven News —965,000
  3. A Current Affair (Nine) — 951,000
  4. Nine News — 942,000
  5. Nine News (6.30pm) — 940,000
  6. 7pm ABC News – 790,000
  7. 7.30 (ABC) — 634,000
  8. Australian Story (ABC) — 576,000
  9. Four Corners (ABC) — 567,000
  10. The Project 7pm (Ten) —540,000

Morning TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 484,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 395,000
  3. News Breakfast (ABC, 158,000 + 83,000 on News 24) — 158,000
  4. The Morning Show (Seven) — 203,000
  5. Today Extra (Nine) — 169,000
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 126,000

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. Outlander (showcase) — 90,000
  2. Paul Murray Live (Sky News) — 59,000
  3. Family Guy (Fox8) — 59,000
  4. American Dad (Fox8) — 500,000
  5. The Simpsons (Fox8) – 49,000