Glenn Dyer's TV Ratings, Apr 12, 2017

Seven won a night when the total viewing on the digital channels out-rated the viewing on any of the network’s main channels. In the main channels the first six programs on the most watched list were news and current affairs. Says it all about the paucity of what was on offer later in the night. Seven gave viewers a second preview of the new series of First Dates (1.01 million nationally). Viewing on SBS again increased.

The ABC is at least taking its responsibilities seriously — in the first of the what seems to be a two week Easter ratings break by the commercials — by programming the return of Brush with Fame, Anh Do’s portrait interview series, and debuting the new sports comedy The Warriors. The commercials have a mixture of second and third class series, sports (swimming on Seven), weak US series (on Ten) and odds and sods on Nine.

Family Feud once again flopped for Ten, with 336,000 national viewers (which is a weak metro figure). It had 290,000 metro and just 46,000 regional viewers. You can hear the axe being sharpened at Ten’s HQ in Ultimo. The same sound will be reverberating at Nine thanks to Hot Seat — last night it managed 674,000 national viewers from 5.30pm to 6pm. Over on Seven, the 5.30pm part of The Chase averaged 1.03 million national viewers — 50% more than Hot Seat.

In the regions Seven news was again tops with 600,000 viewers, followed by Seven News/Today Tonight with 520,000, Home and Away in 3rd with 492,000, the 5.30pm part of The Chase Australia was 4th with 417,000 and First Dates was 5th with 346,000.

In breakfast Sunrise (551,000 viewers ) accounted for Today (422,000) nationally and in the metros (292,000 to 272,000 viewers).

Network channel share: