Glenn Dyer’s TV ratings: struggling Ten hires new exec

A close night — Seven won all people and the main channels in metro markets, and in regional markets by narrow margins. The ABC was third and Ten fourth, distantly, again in the regions. Nine won Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, but huge wins for Seven in Adelaide and Perth got it home in the five metro markets.

Apart from the ABC, it was a dull night. Ten struggled, and Seven’s Million Dollar Minute ran out of oomph at 5.30pm, shedding more viewers (876,000 national/ 550,000 metro/ 326,000 regional viewers), and Hot Seat on Nine (950,000 national/ 599,000 metro/ 351,000 regional viewers) clearly beat it. As a result Seven news again lost Sydney to Nine news by 68,000 and Melbourne by 115,000.

Gruen Planet slipped, falling under a million viewers in metro markets (1.425 million national/ 988,000 metro/ 537,000 regional viewers), but that didn’t matter — it was still a solid program. ABC1 debuted Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery after Gruen. It was also solid, with 1.039 million national/ 699,000 metro/ 340,000 regional viewers.

Ten’s The Bachelor perked up on being moved to Wednesday nights at 7.30pm and averaged 841,000 national/ 656,000 metro/ 181,000 regional viewers last night, while Wonderland at 8.30pm  had 850,000 national/ 637,000 metro/ 213,000 regional viewers. Except for Upper Middle Bogan and It’s A Date on ABC1, tonight is something of a wasteland. Ten’s Revealed flopped on debut last week — its second episode at 9.30pm will be a test.

Ten announced this morning that former Nine and Seven executive Peter Meakin would join the network as its news and current affairs boss next February. He will join six months and two days from today. Earlier Meakin had attempted to join Ten three months after officially leaving Seven. Seven had objected, pointing out a non-compete clause. Seven seems to have won, because the six months is a standard non-compete clause in TV. Ten has been cutting costs in its news and current affairs business recently, according to network insiders.

Network channel share:

1. Seven (28.2%)
2. Nine (27.2%)
3. ABC (21.3%)
4. Ten (18.7%)
5. SBS (4.6%)

Network main channels:

1. Seven (19.6%)
2. Nine (19.0%)
3. ABC1 (15.1%)
4. Ten (13.1%)
5. SBS ONE (3.6%)

Top digital channels: 

1. 7mate (5.3%)
2. GO, Gem (4.1%)
3. ABC 2 (3.7%)
4. Eleven (3.4%)
5. 7TWO (3.35)

Top 10 national programs:

1. Seven News – 1.804 million
2. Nine News — 1.706 million
3. Gruen Planet (ABC1) — 1.425 million
4. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.377 million
5. ABC1 News — 1.324 million
6. SlideShow (Seven) — 1.285 million
7. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.215 million
8. 7.30 (ABC1) — 1.214 million
9. Big Brother (Nine) — 1.181 million
10. QI repeat (ABC1) — 1.155 million

Losers: Seven’s Million Dollar Minute at 5.30pm and Just for Laughs on Seven at 8.30pm — a weak fourth behind Gruen Planet on ABC1, Wonderland on Ten and Arrow on Nine.Metro news and current affairs:

1. Seven News — 1.157 million
2. Nine News — 1.154 million
3. Today Tonight (Seven) — 936,000
4. ABC1 News — 914,000
5. A Current Affair (Nine) — 913,000
6. 7.30 (ABC1) — 799,000
7. Ten Eyewitness News — 638,000
8. The Project (Ten) — 588,000
9. SBS ONE News — 165,000
10. Lateline (ABC1) — 143,000

Metro morning TV:

1. Sunrise (Seven) – 348,000
2. Today (Nine) – 295,000
3. News Breakfast (ABC 1, 63,000 + 41,000 on News 24) — 104,000

Top five pay TV channels:

1. Fox 8 (3.4%)
2. LifeStyle  (3.1%)
3. TV1 (2.6%)
4. Crime & Investigation (1.7%)
5. Sky News  (1.6%)

Top five pay TV programs:

1. Location Location Location (LifeStyle) – 138,000
2. AFL: Open Mike (Fox Footy) – 97,000
3. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) – 93,000
4. NRL: 360 (Fox Sports 1) – 87,000
5. Family Guy (Fox 8) – 77,000

*Data © OzTAM Pty Limited 2013. The data may not be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of OzTAM. (All shares on the basis of combined overnight 6pm to midnight all people.) and network reports.