One sleep to go before the AFL Grand Final, and Optus Stadium in Perth is a nice, neutral ground for the footy match that stops a nation. Judging by WA support for both Dogs and Demons in previous matches, the crowd won’t lack for colour — and one can be certain the big swinging you-know-whats of the west’s business, finance and social life will be there.
Meanwhile, who needs Q+A (428,000) when you have The Front Bar — 668,000 nationally, 326,000 in Melbourne (second highest audience nationally) and 27,000 in Sydney. A front bar night for all, really, as The Front Bar pushed Melbourne — sorry, Seven — to a win in the main AFL markets and nationally.
There are preliminary finals for the NRL — Sea Eagles v Bunnies tonight, Storm v Panthers tomorrow afternoon — and Rugby Union (Australia v Argentina) on Saturday night. Up against the AFL, so good luck to ’em.
And Sunday night on the ABC launches the miniseries Fires — good reviews so far, but is it too early to dramatise the terrible infernos of 2019-2020?
Breakfast: Sunrise, 459,000/268,000; News Breakfast, 371,000/257,000; Today, 339,000/209,000
Regional Top 5: Seven News, 595,000; Seven News 6.30, 577,000; 7pm ABC News, 370,000; Home and Away, 355,000, Nine News, 350,000
Network channel share:
- Seven (30.6%)
- Nine (26.3%)
- Ten (19.8%)
- ABC (15.3%)
- SBS (8.0%)
Network main channels:
- Seven (21.7%)
- Nine (17.7%)
- Ten (12.4%)
- ABC (10.8%)
- SBS ONE (3.5%)
Top 5 digital channels:
- 7TWO (3.9%)
- 10 Peach (3.4%)
- 10 Bold (3.2%)
- 7mate (3.0%)
- GO (2.5%)
Top 10 national programs:
- Seven News — 1.643 million
- Seven News 6.30 — 1.609 million
- Nine News — 1.308 million
- Nine News 6.30 — 1.277 million
- 7pm ABC News — 1.087 million
- Home And Away (Seven) — 954,000
- A Current Affair (Nine) — 949,000
- Home and Away late (Seven) — 890,000
- The Chase Australia 5.30pm (Seven) — 843,000
- 7.30 (ABC) — 836,000
Top metro programs:
1. Seven News — 1.048 million
2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.032 million
Losers: So many…
Metro news and current affairs:
- Seven News — 1.048 million
- Seven News 6.30 — 1.032 million
- Nine News — 957,000
- Nine News 6.30 —907,000
- 7pm ABC News — 717,000
- ACA (Nine) — 658,000
- 7.30 (ABC) — 546,000
- The Project 7pm (Ten) — 441,000
- Foreign Correspondent (ABC) — 367,000
- Ten News First (ABC) — 231,000
Morning (national) TV:
- Sunrise (Seven) — 454,000/256,000
- Today (Nine) — 364,000/249,000
- News Breakfast (ABC) — 336,000/221,000
- The Morning Show (Seven) — 269,000
- Today Extra (Nine) — 195,000
- Studio 10 (Ten) — 55,000
Top five Pay TV programs:
- Credlin (Sky News) — 74,000
- The Bolt Report (Sky News) — 68,000
- Aussie Gold Hunters (Discovery) — 66,000
- Paul Murray Live, Newsday, Alan Jones (Sky News) — 60,000
Congratulations to Leslie Cannold for the article What does fair hospital treatment look like in a vaccine-divided nation? Thank you for publishing what so desperately needs to be said to the anti-vaxers: if the you don’t accept the science of vaccinations, why should you be entitled to the benefits of the science reflected in our modern medical system. And I ask:
1. Why aren’t we hearing this from our politicians?, and
2. Why should our overworked medical professionals be asked to risk their health and wellbeing for a dangerous virus which the anti-vaxers claim is not a danger to health?