Logies night last night and for the second year in a row the quality of the broadcast was transformed by the quality of the big three winners: Waleed Aly for the Gold Logie, Deborah Mailman for most outstanding actress and Alex Dimitriades for most outstanding actor, plus Noni Hazlehurst’s speech on her very belated induction into TV’s Hall Of Fame. The crispness and pace of the night also helped, even though it ran an hour over time. That the three big awards came well after 11pm is the fault of awards night — it can’t be avoided.

But instead of being boring, dull, eye-glazing examples of self-indulgent ego burnishing (there was some of that), it turned out to be the best ad for TV for ages. The irony is that the industry’s finances have never been so precarious: revenue weak to disappearing, streaming video on demand Netflix lurking and damaging, social media Facebook etc and a still vengeful federal government and prime minister (and former communications minister), not caring about the future of public broadcasting, despite his fine words in the past.

But anyone who stayed up and watched last night’s broadcast were rewarded with something rare: intelligent speeches from people not afraid to show it in an industry where it has been more punished and pushed into the background than applauded (with very honourable exceptions like Jana Wendt).

The Project was rewarded (Ten had a good night for a broken network on the bones of its uppers). Seven and Nine (the white bread networks) were missing in action (with the honourable exception of the Parramatta Police Centre killings story by Seven News Robert Ovadia and Chris Maher). But there were silly votes, such as Ten/LifeStyle Gogglebox Australia winning best factual program over Australian Story. Not many facts in Gogglebox. But the win by The Killing Season was well justified in most outstanding public affairs program re-established some faith in the Logies process. We have to remember ‘Best” is audience voted, Most Outstanding is industry rated. That’s why The Project won best current affairs program (and deserved it).

(And what award will they give next year to the 60 Minutes adventure in Beirut? Least outstanding foreign travel incursion? Most inept stunt?)

Nine won easily in metro and regional markets, with the actual awards night beating the red carpet frocks parade at the start of the telecast (which in the past has not been the case).  It is a further irony that the stars of Ten (The Project and Waleed Aly, plus Carrie Bickmore and the others) pushed Nine to the victory last night. House Rules with its full house reveal did OK with 1.335 million national viewers  and beat Masterchef with 1.156 million — even though Masterchef with 905,000 beat House Rules with 864,000. Regional viewers supported House Rules again, but not Masterchef.

The most watched programs in the regions were: Seven News, 580,000; Nine News, 487,000; House Rules was on 472,000; ABC News, 406,000 and the Logie Awards, 373,000. Masterchef could only manage 251,000 regional viewers.

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (37.1%)
  2. Seven (24.9%)
  3. Ten (17.3%)
  4. ABC (15.4%)
  5. SBS (5.3%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (28.6%)
  2. Seven (17.6%)
  3. Ten (13.0%)
  4. ABC (11.7%)
  5. SBS ONE (3.3%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. GO (4.0%)
  2. 7mate (3.4%)
  3. 7TWO (2.6%)
  4. ABC2 (2.4%)
  5. Gem (2.3%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.808 million
  2. Nine News — 1.673 million
  3. 58th Logies (Nine) — 1.492 million
  4. 58th Logies Arrivals (Seven) — 1.379 million
  5. House Rules (Seven) — 1.335 million
  6. Masterchef Australia (Ten) — 1.156 million
  7. ABC News — 1.123 million
  8. Grand Designs (ABC) — 1.185 million
  9. Seven News/ Today Tonight — 1.109 million
  10. Midsomer Murders (ABC) — 1.092 million
  11. Sunday Night (Seven) — 918,000

Top metro programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.228 million
  2. Nine News — 1.186 million
  3. 58th Logies Awards (Nine) — 1.119 million
  4. 58th Logies Awards (Nine) — 1.060 million

Losers: Anyone who didn’t stick with The Logies on Nine. The end made it worth the wait. St Kilda, stiffed by a dud call by an Ump at the end, not the time wasting at the finish (Go Swannies).

Metro news and current affairs:

  1.  Seven News — 1.228 million
  2.  Nine News — 1.186 million
  3. ABC News – 918,000
  4. 7.30 (ABC) — 717,000
  5. Sunday Night (Seven) — 597,000
  6. Ten Eyewitness News — 354,000
  7. SBS World News (Ten) — 150,000

Morning TV:

  1. Insiders (ABC, 281,000, News, 101,000) — 382,000
  2. Weekend Today (Nine) — 306,000
  3. Sunrise (Seven) – 279,000
  4. Offsiders (ABC) — 181,000

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. Fox Footy, Fox Sports 5  (2.8%)
  2. Fox Sports 3  (2.3%)
  3. TVHITS, Foxtel Movies Premiere, Fox8  (1.8%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. V8 Super Cars Perth (Fox Sports 5) – 149,000
  2. AFL: Port Adelaide v Brisbane (Fox Footy) — 143,000
  3. AFL: St Kilda v North Melbourne (Fox Footy) — 140,000
  4. Bounce (Fox Footy) – 117,000
  5. Supercars Live (Fox Sports 5) — 97,000

*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.