(Image: ABC)

Last night on the ABC, Four Corners (738,000 nationally) had what initially looked like a perfectly adequate report on how Labor came to power, with chats to swinging voters through the campaign and a couple of “experts” including John Howard’s old mate David Gazard, PR spinner Sue Cato (a one-time Fairfax flack), and Kevin07 flack and one-time electricity guru Lachlan Harris, looking older and balder. Lots of pictures, lots of sequences and the odd question or two from Adam Harvey joined in the monstering of Anthony Albanese.

So comprehensive was the report that the word “teal” was never mentioned. And yet the collective campaigns played a huge part in the result, especially Monique Ryan, who stole the former treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s inner-Melbourne seat. And the Greens were a separate but just as important story. 

Media Watch was far more comprehensive, and that was reflected in its solid figures — 719,000 (including 2000 more in the metros: 528,000 to 526,000). In the end Four Corners’ path to power got lost and was never found by the close of counting on Saturday.

In breakfast, a leap in the figures for the ABC’s News Breakfast from 7 to 9am (343,000) and the hour of ABC news from 9am to 10am (376,000). Sunrise was hit, with its audience dropping back under 400,000 to 376,000 (equal with the hour of ABC news from 9am). Today did OK, regaining the 300,000 level but finished fourth — its lowest finish for a long while.

Network channel share:

  1. Seven (26.3%)
  2. Nine (24.1%)
  3. Ten (21.3%)
  4. ABC (21.1%)
  5. SBS (7.3%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (16.9%)
  2. Seven (16.8%)
  3. ABC (15.6%)
  4. Ten (15.5%)
  5. SBS ONE (3.9%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. 7TWO (4.6%)
  2. 7mate (3.0%)
  3. 10 Bold (2.9%)
  4. ABC News (2.6%).
  5. 10 Peach (2.3%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.702 million
  2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.579 million
  3. Nine News — 1.249 million
  4. Nine News 6.30 — 1.199 million
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.065 million
  6. 7pm ABC News — 1.098 million
  7. 7.30 (ABC) — 1.045 million
  8. The Chase Australia 5.30pm (Seven) — 996,000
  9. Australian Story (ABC) — 893,000
  10. Home and Away (Seven) — 882,000

Top metro programs: Seven News — 1.07 million; Seven News 6.30pm — 1.02 million.

Regional top 5: Seven News, 632,000; Seven News 6.30, 560,000; The Chase Australia 5.30pm, 394,000; 7pm ABC News, 359,000; Nine News, 332,000.

Losers: Celebrity Apprentice Australia on Nine.

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 1.070 million
  2. Seven News 6.30 — 1.020 million
  3. Nine News  — 917,000
  4. Nine News 6.30 — 888,000
  5. 7pm ABC News — 739,000
  6. 7.30 (ABC) — 723,000
  7. ACA (Nine) — 674,000
  8. Australian Story (ABC) — 630,000
  9. Media Watch (ABC) — 528,000
  10. Four Corners (ABC)  — 526,000

Morning (national) TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) —  376,000/221,000
  2. ABC News Mornings (ABC) — 376,000
  3. News Breakfast (ABC) — 343,000/223,000
  4. Today (Nine) — 300,000/192,000
  5. The Morning Show (Seven) — 248,000
  6. Today Extra (Nine) — 166,000
  7. Studio 10 (Ten) — 45,000

Top 5 pay TV programs:

  1. Credlin, Paul Murray Live (Sky News)  — 80,000
  2. The Bolt Report (Sky News) — 71,000
  3. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) — 67,000
  4. The Kenny Report (Sky News) — 48,000