Nine’s night thanks to The Block (1.53 million nationally) and Doctor Doctor (980,000 nationally) but the real story was how the ABC easily accounted for Seven, Ten and, after The Block ended, Nine, with solid figures for 7.30 (1.03 million nationally), Australian Story (954,0000); Four Corners (1.12 million) and Media Watch (1.083 million). Q&A averaged 769,000 and easily won its timeslot. 7.30, Four Corners, Media Watch and Q&A all traversed the absurd Liberal Party and PM change last week and as a result the ABC’s main channel share of 17.5% finished second behind Nine (21.5%) and well ahead of Seven and Ten which tied on a very low 13.8%. Once again the frailties of the commercial networks when confronted with breaking news/current affairs stories and then explaining them to viewers was exposed. It continues the strength of ABC current affairs shows as we saw on Sunday with Insiders 739,000 national figure — the highest outside the morning after a Federal election. 

In regional markets it was Seven’s 6pm News on top with 602,000, then Seven News/Today Tonight with 487,000, followed by The Block with 444,000, then Home and Away on 413,000 and The Chase Australia from 5.30 pm with 406,000.

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (28.8%)
  2. Seven (23.5%)
  3. ABC (22.1%)
  4. Ten (19.0%)
  5. SBS (5.8%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (21.5%)
  2. ABC (17.5%)
  3. Seven, Ten (13.8%)
  4. SBS ONE (4.0%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. 7mate (4.1%)
  2. 7TWO (3.8%)
  3. ONE (3.7%)
  4. ONE (3.2%)
  5. Gem (2.7%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1.  Seven News — 1.667 million
  2. The Block (Nine) — 1.532 million
  3. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.495 million
  4.  Nine/NBN News 6.30 — 1.381 million
  5.  Nine/NBN News — 1.347 million
  6. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.191 million
  7. 7pm ABC News — 1.176 million
  8. Four Corners (ABC) — 1.127 million
  9. Media Watch (ABC) — 1.083 million
  10. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.348 million

Top metro programs:

  1. The Block (Nine) – 1.088 million
  2. Seven News — 1.065 million
  3. Nine News 6.30 — 1.030 million
  4. Nine News — 1.011 million
  5. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.008 million

Losers: Seven.

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 1.065 million
  2. Nine News 6.30 — 1.030 million
  3. Nine News — 1.011 million
  4. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.008 million
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) – 840,000
  6. 7pm ABC News — 810,000
  7. Four Corners )ABC) — 779,000
  8. Media Watch (ABC) — 738,000
  9. 7.30 (ABC) — 702,000
  10. Australian Story (ABC) — 638,000

Morning (National) TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 485,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 370,000
  3. News Breakfast (ABC, ABC News) — 262,000
  4. The Morning Show (Seven) — 233,000
  5. Mornings (Nine) — 171,000
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 87,000

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. The Pacific (History) — 107,000
  2. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) — 101,000
  3. The Bolt Report (Sky News) — 79,000
  4. Credlin (Sky News) — 73,000
  5. Outsiders (Sky News) — 72,000