A below average Thursday night which, like so many others in recent weeks, had nothing really to attract people. So much so that the combined metro share for the 11 digital channels was 31.9%, greater than any shares for the main channels (Nine and Seven had 18.2% shares for their channels). In other words, a majority of viewers wanted to watch anything but what was on the main channels.

Nine’s The Verdict climbed to 673,000 national, 465,000 metro and 209,000 regional viewers. Less argy bargy and more viewer interest, but the central problem is the anchor panel members. Their viewers are too predictable. The big thing about Q&A is the unknowns on the panel each Monday night (and the knowns, such as politicians former and current). Despite his ambition, Karl Stefanovic will never be the equal of Tony Jones, but the program’s producers and Nine management should force him to stretch and have a go because he is marking time at the moment. What was the point of having Pauline Hanson on last night? Talk about being transparently trying for a yelling match and headlines! Nine would have been smarter to have Pauline Pantsdown as well, or in place of Ms Hanson, who was there for the controversy and nothing more. Well, it fell a bit flat. Lisa Wilkinson would be a much tougher and controlling host.

Last night’s World Cup soccer qualifier between Australia and Kyrgyzstan from Canberra had a total of 444,000 viewers on SBS 2 (304,000 nationally) and 144,000 on Fox Sports 4.

Summer is really here with the second cricket test between Australia and the Kiwis from Perth this afternoon and tonight through the weekend; meaning the bulk of prime time viewing on Nine will be the sound of willow on wood, funny-accunted commentators and lots of talk about the heat, the pace of the putch, the Fremantle Doctor, Dennis Lillee, the Fremantle Doctor, the heat, the putch, whether the fast bowlers have got the right length for the WACA putch or whether they are “banging it in too short”, value for money shots, bowling and batting downwind. See, you’ve got six and a bit hours of commentary there, with only the scores to insert.

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (28.0%)
  2. Seven (26.9%)
  3. Ten (21.8%)
  4. ABC (16.3%)
  5. SBS (7.0%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (18.2%)
  2. Seven (18.2%)
  3. Ten (14.8%)
  4. ABC (11.0%)
  5. SBS ONE (5.4%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. GO (5.5%)
  2. 7TWO (4.8%)
  3. Gem (4.3%)
  4. Eleven (4.2%)
  5. 7mate (3.9%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Nine News — 1.261 million
  2. Seven News — 1.236 million
  3. RBT (Nine) — 1.178 million
  4. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.172 million
  5. ABC News — 1.096 million
  6. RBA rpt (Nine) — 1.084 million
  7. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.050 million
  8. The Chase Australia (5.30pm) (Seven) — 972,000
  9. Seven News/Today Tonight — 972,000
  10. Nine News 6.30 — 924,000

Top metro programs: None with a million or more metro viewers, which tells us it was a weak night.

Losers: The above comment applies again.Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 962,000
  2. Seven News/Today Tonight — 930,000
  3. Nine News (6.30pm) — 924,000
  4. Nine News — 903,000
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) – 875,000
  6. ABC News – 741,000
  7. 7.30 (ABC) — 602,000
  8. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 534,000
  9. Ten Eyewitness News — 458,000
  10. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 376,000

Morning TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 329,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 311,000
  3. The Morning Show (Seven) — 170,000
  4. News Breakfast (ABC,  93,000 + 48,000 on News 24) — 141,000
  5. Mornings (Nine) — 104,000
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 70,000

Top five pay TV channels:

  1. LifeStyle  (2.7%)
  2. Fox 8  (2.3%)
  3. TVHITS  (2.0%)
  4. Fox Sports 4 (1.9%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. Soccer,:World Cup Qualifier, Aust V Kzg (Fox Sports 4) – 142,000
  2. Grand Designs Australia (LifeStyle) — 89,000
  3. Peppa Pig (Nick Jr) — 76,000
  4. Peppa Pig (Nick Jr) — 74,000
  5. When Henry Met (Nick Jr) — 67,000

*Data © OzTAM Pty Limited 2014. 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.