Glenn Dyer’s TV Ratings

A weak night except for Masterchef Australia, which should have really topped the night if it is back to its best, as Ten is claiming (at least in the metros where it was third behind Nine and Seven News). Still, the confected cooking school episode was better than anything else on TV. Seven might have topped total people in the metros, but Nine won the main channels, with Ten second and Seven a weak (and not unexpected third). But that was in the metros. In the regions it was a very different story with Seven winning total people and the main channels very, very easily for such a light offering on the night. Nine in particular is on the nose in regional markets.

And that was the night, except Bill Shorten’s budget reply speech. It averaged 716,000 viewers last night nationally (ScoMo’s effort averaged 1.006 million, as it should have being the Budget Speech). The 7.30 program (with an interview with Bill Shorten taking half the program from 8pm) averaged 710,000 viewers against 783,000 for Tuesday night’s post speech discussion.

In regional markets, Home and Away was the most watched program with 558,000 viewers, followed by The Chase Australia 5.30pm with 437,000, Nine News was on 369,000, ABC News had 352,000 and Masterchef Australia had a solid 340,000 viewers.

So Sunday, what a heartbreaker of a day you will be, but not for Mums, who should get in early. Of course it is Logies night on Nine (hours of torture). Will those News Corp idiots who had a go at the nominations of Waleed Aly and Lee Lin Chin for the Gold Logie, have the guts to get up at the night and repeat their comments?

And topping the day, the probable official calling of the July 2 Federal poll. What a Mother’s Day gift for all those mothers involved in federal politics, and the media! Weeks and weeks of madness and the last lie-in until early July.

Network channel share:

1. Seven (26.9%)
2. Nine (26.3%)
3. Ten (23.0%)
4. ABC (17.8%)
5. SBS (5.9%)

Network main channels:

1. Nine (18.5%)
2. Ten (18.2%)
3. Seven (17.1%)
4. ABC (12.4%)
5. SBS ONE (3.5%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. 7TWO (5.0%)
2. GO (3.7%)
3. 7mate (3.5%)
4. ONE (3.0%)
5. ABC 2 (2.7%)

Top 10 national programs:

1.  Nine News — 1.415 million
2. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.349 million
3. Masterchef Australia (Ten) — 1.346 million
4. Seven News — 1.319 million
5. The Chase Australia 5.30 (Seven) — 1.127 million
6. 7pm ABC News — 1.304 million 
7. Current Affair (Nine) — 1.025 million
8. Gogglebox Australia (Ten) — 1.024 million
9. Nine News 6.30 — 1.148 million
10. Janet King (ABC) — 954,000

Top metro programs:

1. Nine News — 1.046 million
2. Seven News — 1.037 million
3. Nine News 6.30 — 1.013 million
4. Masterchef Australia (Seven) — 1.006 million

Losers: Me, for forgetting it was the so-called representative round in the NRL, so no game last night. Australia plays NZ tonight on Nine. Otherwise a weak Thursday night, except for Masterchef which at least had some colour and movement.

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Nine News — 1.046 million
2. Seven News — 1.037 million
3. Nine News (6.30pm) — 1.013 million
4. Seven News/ Today Tonight — 898,000
5. A Current Affair (Nine) – 863,000
6. ABC News – 755,000
7. 7.30 (ABC) — 776,000
8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 597,000
9. Ten Eyewitness News — 514,000
10. 7.30, Budget Reply (ABC) — 513,000,000

Morning TV:

1. Today (Nine) – 325,000
2. Sunrise (Seven) – 315,000
3. The Morning Show (Seven) — 149,000
4. News Breakfast (ABC,  84,000 + 47,000 on News 24) — 131,000
5. Today Extra (Nine) — 125,000
6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 77,000

Top five pay TV channels:

1. TVHITS  (2.3%)
2. 111 (1.9%)
3. LifeStyle  (1.8%)
4. UKTV (1.7%)
5. Fox 8  (1.3%)

Top five pay TV programs:

1. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) – 86,000
2. Gold Rush (Discovery) — 65,000
3. Grand Designs: House Of The Year (LifeStyle) — 54,000
4. The Simpsons (Fox8) – 52,000
5. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) — 48,000

*Data © OzTAM Pty Limited 2016. 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.