Gillard on Q&A draws record audience

The Winners:

Seven got squeezed last night. Its real estate program Under the Hammer at 8 pm averaged 904,000, which is not enough for the network to do well on the night. Q&A averaged 841,000, with the PM as the sole guest, a record for the program, which is understandable given there’s an election campaign. And Julia Gillard is on The 7PM Project on Ten tonight at the desk.

Seven News (6pm) — 1.569 million
A Current Affair (Nine)( 6.30pm) — 1.379 million
Nine News (6pm) — 1.365 million
Today Tonight (Seven) (6.30pm) — 1.341 million
Two and a Half Men (Nine) (7.30pm) — 1.300 million
Hot in Cleveland (Nine) (8pm) — 1.204 million
Two and a Half Men (Nine) (7pm) (repeat) — 1.146 million
Undercover Boss (Ten) (7.30pm) — 1.107 million
ABC News (7pm) — 1.104 million
RSPCA Animal Rescue (Seven) (7.30pm) — 1.081 million
Criminal Minds (Seven) (8.30pm) — 1.072 million
Home and Away (Seven) (7pm) — 1.067 million
Australian Story (ABC) (8pm) — 1.020 million

The Losers: As a viewer it was hard to have any enthusiasm for last night. The ABC provided the only sparks for intelligent viewing with Australian Story and then Q&A.

News & CA:

Seven News won everywhere and the big gap in Sydney in favour of Seven’s Chris Bath isn’t going away. The National Press Club debate between Wayne Swan and Joe Hockey was watched by 126,000 people at 12.30pm to 1.20pm. Dr. Phil on Ten had 130,000 from Noon, The Oprah Winfrey Show from 1pm also on Ten, had 163,000. The Midday News Report on the ABC at noon had 163,000, so there was a substantial turn off for the debating treasurers, which is what they deserved.

A Current Affair won the 6.30pm slot with wins in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane with an interview with Lindy Creighton (nee Chamberlain) about dingoes and babies. All this continuing fascination (the News Ltd tabloids are thick with the story as well), is creepy, to say the least.

Seven News (6pm) — 1.569 million
A Current Affair (Nine)( 6.30pm) — 1.379 million
Nine News (6pm) — 1.365 million
Today Tonight (Seven) (6.30pm) — 1.341 million
ABC News (7pm) — 1.104 million
Australian Story (ABC) (8pm) — 1.020 million
The 7pm Project (Ten) (7pm) — 945,000
The 7.30 Report (ABC) (7.30pm) — 870,000
Ten New (5pm) –865,000
Q&A (ABC) (9.35pm) — 841,000
Media Watch (ABC) (9.20pm) — 734,000
Four Corners (ABC) (8.30pm) — 717,000
Lateline (ABC) (10.35pm) — 408,000
Late News/Sports Tonight (Ten) (10.30pm) — 278,000
SBS News (6.30pm) — 205,000
Lateline Business (ABC) (11.10pm) — 176,000
SBS News (9.30pm) — 132,000

In the mornings:

Sunrise (Seven) (7am) — 376,000
Today (Nine) (7am) — 315,000

The Stats:

FTA: Nine won with a share of 28.2%, from Seven on 26.8%, Ten with 19.4%, the ABC on 19.3% and SBS, 6.3%. Ten won 16 to 39s and 18 to 49s in the 6pm to 10.30pm slot. Seven leads the week with 29.0% from Nine on 28.5%.
Main Channel: Nine won here as well with a share of 24.6%, from Seven on 22.9%, Ten with 18.6%, ABC 1, 16.2% and SBS ONE, 5.6%. Seven leads the week with 25.0%, from Nine on 23.2%.
Digital: 7TWO won the night with a prime time share of 3.9% from GO on 3.6%, ABC 2, 2.0%, ONE on 0.8%, SBS TWO, 0.7%, ABC 3 on 0.6% and News 24 with 0.5%. The seven FTA digital channels had a total share of 12.1% in prime time last night. GO leads the week with 5.3%, from 7TWO on 4.0%.
Pay TV: Nine won with 23.5%, from Seven with 22.3%, Ten on 16.1% and the ABC, also on 16.1%, Pay TV and its 100 plus channels shared the 14.5% share and SBS was on 5.2%. The 12 FTA channels had a total share of 85.5%, with the seven digital channels with a total share of 9.8% and the five main channels with a total share of 75.7%.
Regional: Nine won regional areas with WIN/NBN on a share of 29.2%, from Prime/7Qld with 25.8%, SC Ten on 20.7%, the ABC, 18.8% and SBS, 5.6%. WIN/NBN won the main channels from Prime/7Qld, 7TWO won the digitals from GO and ABC 2. News 24 had a share of 0.7% in prime time last night in regional areas. WIN/NBN lead the week with 30.7% from Prime/7Qld on 27.3%.

Major Markets: Nine won overall and the main channels in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane from Seven and Ten. In Adelaide and Perth, it was Seven from Nine and Ten in both the overall and the main channels. In the digital battle GO won from 7TWO and ABC in Sydney. GO and 7TWO drew Melbourne and Perth with ABC 2 next in line. 7TWO won Brisbane and Adelaide from GO and ABC 2. Seven leads Nine and Ten in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth. Nine leads Seven from Ten in Melbourne and Brisbane.

(All shares on the basis of combined overnight 6pm to midnight All People)

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Believe it or not, but the Ten Network is taking the August 21 poll a bit more seriously than in times past. It will have coverage up to the start of the AFL game between the Western Bulldogs and the Sydney Swans.

Here’s Ten’s line up on election night. Note the use of The 7pm Project as a centre piece of the poll coverage for the period up to the AFL kicks off, and George Negus’ involvement, instead of being at SBS. This is a much more adult approach to news and current affairs on a big night for the country.

Is Ten starting to build its profile ahead of those big changes to the 5pm to 7pm timeslots that were tipped about a month or so ago, with talk of a 6.30pm current affairs program?

5pm — 6pm (AEST): NATIONAL WEEKEND NEWS BULLETIN (*4.30pm in South Australia and 3pm in Western Australia*)
6pm — 6.30pm (AEST): NATIONAL ELECTION SPECIAL (*5.30pm in South Australia and 4.00pm in Western Australia*)
6.30pm — 7.30pm (AEST): THE ELECTION PROJECT (*6pm – 6.30pm in South Australia only and 4.30pm in Western Australia*) Join Charlie Pickering, Carrie Bickmore, Dave Hughes and George Negus at their usual 7pm desk for The Election Project.
7.30pm — 10.30pm (AEST): 2010 AFL PREMIERSHIP with special election updates throughout to keep abreast of the latest election news.

TONIGHT: Packed to the Rafters night for Seven, Nine changes into Top Gear, the ABC has Foreign Correspondent, SBS has Insight. Ten has The 7pm Project.

Source: OzTAM, TV Networks reports