The Winners: Seven News was tops with 1.2 million viewers, followed by the 7pm ABC News with 1.177 million, Today Tonight with 1.173 million in 3rd, Nine News 4th with 1.120 million and The 7.30 Report with 1.117 million. A Current Affair averaged 999,000 (did viewers turn off in surprise when they saw Tony Abbott being interviewed. TT had an interview as well). The ABC special, Prince Charles’ Other Mistress, averaged 989,000 viewers form 8.30pm. Jail Birds on the ABC at 8pm averaged 905,000 and Ten’s Accidentally on Purpose at 7.30pm averaged 890,000. Private Practice on Seven at 8.30pm, 830,000 and back to fading.

The Losers: Seven’s viewers at 7pm; the summer re-runs of How I Met Your Mother, 766,000. Numb3rs on Ten at 9.30pm, 712,000, but that was 2,000 viewers better than the audience for the 8.30pm program on the network, White Collar, which had a poor start last week. The Office on Ten at 8pm, 710,000 as well. Gary Unmarried on Seven at 7.30pm. Unfunny in ratings: 623,000.

News & CA: Seven News again won nationally but lost Sydney to Nine and drew Brisbane with Nine. The 7pm ABC News had the biggest audience in Sydney with 377,000. That was a time/daylight saving influence. That was actually the second largest audience for any program anywhere last night. 7.30 Report in Sydney had the biggest audience nationally with 389,000 watching in Sydney. In Melbourne it was just 275,000. The 7.30 Report had more viewers in Brisbane than TT and ACA. Ten News averaged 845,000, the late News/Sports Tonight, 337,000. Lateline averaged 298,000. Lateline Business averaged 167,000. SBS News at 6.30pm averaged 157,000, 222,000 for the late edition. 7am Sunrise, 355,000, 7am Today, 302,000.

The Stats: Nine won with a 6pm to Midnight All People combined share of 28.7% from Seven with 23.8%, the ABC with 20.5%, Ten with 20.4% and SBS with 6.6%. Nine won Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Seven won Adelaide in a rather odd result, given the results in other centres and regionally. Nine was thirds in Adelaide with Ten second. Nine now leads the week with a combined share of 27.8% from Seven with 27.7%.

In regional markets Nine’s WIN/NBN won with 26.9%, from the ABC in second with 21.8%, Prime/7Qld with 21.5%, Southern Cross (Ten) with 18.8% and SBS with 10.9%.

Digitally: Nine’s GO won with 3.70%, (Nine’s main channel was on 24.90%), from 7TWO with 2.50% (Seven’s main channel with 21.40%), ABC 2 with 1.80%, ABC 1 with 18.60%, Ten’s ONE with 0.70% (Ten’s main channel was on 19.70%) and SBS TWO on 0.70%, SBS ONE with 5.90%. The digital channels had a combined share of 9.4% last night; it’s no wonder given the dearth of interesting programming for many viewers on the main channels last night.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Nine won and won fairly easy from Seven, with the ABC again strong as the nation tuned in for a bit of news on the Liberal Party leadership. In fact the ABC was the big winner last night with the 7pm News and The 7.30 Report both doing well, especially with Red Kerry’s solid interview with the Mad Monk.

The rise in ABC News and The 7.30 Report audiences is a regular occurrence in summer as people come home later, or start their evenings later because of daylight saving, holidays, Christmas shopping etc. The blood sport in Canberra meant we saw that a bit earlier than expected this summer last night.

TONIGHT: The highlights are: The 7.30 Report to see who turns up to face Red Kerry. Apart from that there’s Hungry Beast, (the final episode for 2009) and John Safran’s Race Relations from 9pm to 10pm for both programs. Cold Case is back with a fresh episode at 8.30pm for Nine (which means it won’t be in the front line for 2010 ratings for the network). The 7pm Project on Ten for an hour from 7pm (of course), stands out and deserves to be watched simply because it is not TT and ACA.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports