As expected, Nine clearly won the ratings last night, thanks to Without a Trace, CSI Miami. McLeod’s Daughters and Nine News all doing well. But Seven’s half hour slow mover, Border Security (9.30pm)surprisingly
popped up in third place with 1.368 viewers to become the second
most-watched program in both Sydney and Melbourne. It’s a pity Seven
doesn’t have another strong 30-minute show to run from 10pm, as the
current program, Seconds from Disaster is not doing well. It attracted 851,800 people, a loss of more than half a million viewers from Border Security.

Nine News beat Seven nationally and in Sydney, which will give some heart at Willoughby today, but no such joy for A Current Affair, again soundly beaten by Seven’s Today nationally and in Sydney. ACA won in Melbourne.

Ten though was the big loser on the night. American Idol
lost viewers on the first episode last week and is now down to 881,400
viewers. That’s endangered species country, but as with the X-Factor its preserve-at-all-costs for Ten for of their ‘Big’ programs of 2005. Battleship Galatica
also lost ground and its national audience is down to 675,100 people,
but there’s a bit of a core cult following there (my twin sons, for
instance).

Nine won with a 32.1% share, from Seven on 27.9%, Ten
down on 19.7% and the ABC on 16.3%. SBS was on 4.0%. Nine won
everywhere bar Perth, which was won by Seven. Without a Trace was the most popular program, followed by CSI Miami, then Border Security, 4th was McLeod’s daughters, 5th was Nine News, 6th was Blue Heelers, 7th Seven News, 8th Home and Away, 9th Today Tonight and 10th was Ten’s Medium, which is one of the network’s better performers at the moment. A Current Affair was 13th with 1.153 million people, 120,000 or so behind TT.