Seven won in both metro and regional markets. Ten beat the ABC into third in the metros, but copped another whacking in regional markets, which won’t please Southern Cross TV — it has to pay Ten more money for weak rating material.

It was a night when a few programs fell flat on their faces — the Grand Final of the Great Australian Bake Off on Nine at 8.30pm (1.101 million national/ 760,000 metro/ 341,000 regional viewers); Ten’s debutante, Recipes to Riches, also at 8.30pm (835,000 national/ 616,000 metro/ 219,000 regional viewers); and MasterChef at 7.30pm (1.099 million national/ 814,000 metro/ 285,000 regional viewers) And, yes I know MasterChef is in its final week, but audience interest has been weak. But 260,000 viewers didn’t hang around when MasterChef became Recipe to Riches. Ten viewers can spot TV pap.

At 8.30pm Seven’s Winners & Losers beat them all with (1.511 million national/ 1.005 million metro/ 506,000 regional viewers) and the final repeat of New Tricks at 8.30pm on ABC1 had 1.258 million national/ 829,000 metro/ 429,000 regional viewers. So good, scripted drama beat the confected cooking shows on Nine and Ten. Viewing satisfaction all round.

Recipe to Riches was really ropey. It wasn’t up to the production standard of MasterChef and looked at times as though it was the 2013 version of Everybody Dance Now  (which was the failure of 2012) for Ten. Looking at last night’s trio of dishes — they were all unhealthy and involved lots of fat and deep frying or baking. Great obesity food. It’s a tie in with Woolworths and based on a UK program which was tied into Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer.

Ten shifted the successful Under The Dome to 9.30pm and sacrificed viewers just for this week. From next Tuesday night, Recipe to Riches is at 7.30pm and Under The Dome is back to 8.30pm.  Going on last night’s ratings, that means Ten is facing a weak 7.30pm as viewers avoid the pap and return for the more solid programming at 8.30pm. Under The Dome last night averaged 918,000 national/646,000 metro/ 372,000; and had 83,000 more viewers last night. Next week it should be more.

Seven’s magician, Cosentinto won the 7.30pm slot with 1.577 million national/ 1.022 million metro/ 555,000 regional viewers. Home and Away won the 7pm slot with 1.556 million national/ 975,000 metro/ 581,000 regional viewers, meaning Seven won from 7pm to 9.30pm. Big Brother at 7pm had 1.088 million national/ 838,000 metro/ 250,000 regional viewers. At 9.30pm the Big Brother Late Night Feast (yes, that’s what it was called) averaged 793,000 national/ 565,000 metro/ 228,000 regional viewers, which was a lot better than the rubbishy Bible which finished screening there last week.

Seven News won Sydney — a rare win — 329,000 to 324,000, but in Melbourne, Nine gave Seven a bath, easily winning by over 200,000 viewers — 477,000 to 271,000 as the peptides story (aka  Essendon) dominated the news flow. Nine’s News also won Brisbane, 256,000 to 228,000. A Current Affair also had solid wins over Today Tonight in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. Seven News won nationally, but A Current Affair beat Today Tonight nationally, even with the split broadcasting policy of WIN (A Current Affair shows on Gem in some regional markets). The leaders debate is on Sky News, News24, SBS2, Gem, ONE and 7TWO from 6.30pm. Beware.

Nine showed more enterprise than Seven (which has the AFL) and dropped a Footy Classified 30 minute special into 10.30pm. It averaged 246,000 viewers down south and won the slot easily. The program also  went to Adelaide and Perth. In fact the peptides story helped boost audiences for AFL Insider on Fox Footy last night to 175,000 and AFL 360 to 161,000.

Network channel share:

  1. Seven (29.9%)
  2. Nine (26.6%)
  3. Ten (20.5%)
  4. ABC (18.3%)
  5. SBS (4.7%)

Network main channels:

  1. Seven (22.1%)
  2. Nine (19.8%)
  3. Ten (14.7%)
  4. ABC 1 (12.8%)
  5. SBS ONE (4.0%)

Top digital channels: 

  1. 7TWO (5.0%)
  2. GO (4.0%)
  3. ABC 2, ONE, Eleven (2.9%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.858 million
  2. Nine News — 1.832 million
  3. Cosentino (Seven) — 1.577 million
  4. Home and Away (Seven) –1.556 million
  5. Winners & Losers (Seven) – 1.511 million
  6. ABC News — 1.390 million
  7. New Tricks repeat (ABC 1) — 1.258 million
  8. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.230 million
  9. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.205 million
  10. 7.30 (ABC1) — 1.143 million

Top metro programs:

  1.  Nine News — 1.276 million
  2. Seven News — 1.190 million
  3. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.036 million
  4. Cosentino (Seven) — 1.022 million
  5. Winners & Losers (Seven) — 1.005 million

Losers: The Great Australian Bake Off and Recipe to Riches (See above).

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Nine News — 1.276 million
  2. Seven News — 1.190 million
  3. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.036 million
  4. Today Tonight (Seven) — 946,000
  5. ABC News  – 940,000
  6. 7.30 (ABC 1) — 766,000
  7. Ten News — 626,000
  8. Foreign Correspondent (ABC1) — 621,000
  9. The Project (Ten) — 566,000
  10. Ten Late News — 215,000

Metro morning TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 373,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 336,000
  3. News Breakfast (ABC1, 65,000 + 47,000 on News24) — 112,000

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. TV1 (2.9%)
  2. Fox 8 (2.7%)
  3. Fox Footy (2.5%)
  4. LifeStyle (2.1%)
  5. Disney Jr (1.8%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. AFL Insider (Fox Footy) – 175,000
  2. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) – 161,000
  3. Family Guy (Fox 8) — 102,000
  4. The Simpsons (Fox 8) – 95,000
  5. Australia’s Next Top Model (Fox 8) – 92,000

*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.