The Glenn Dyer breakdown: Another close night, Seven won the metro markets narrowly from Nine and Ten ended in a weak fourth spot, again as the ABC’s hours of news and current affairs stood out. But in regional markets, it was Seven easily, from Nine and the ABC. Ten was a no runner, but edging higher slightly.

The X Factor‘s performance episode dominated with more than 1.4 million metro and over 2.1 million national viewers last night. But weakness in Seven’s schedule from then on allowed Nine to get much closer than it should have. Castle and Scandal failed to hold viewers over the next two hours from around 8.45pm onwards. Castle averaged 753,000 metro and 1.163 million national viewers from around 8.45pm to 10.45pm. It was a weak third behind Four Corners and Media Watch on ABC1 (yes the ABC won the 8.30-9.30pm slot) and The Mentalist on Nine.

Nine is now a bit better placed this week after a couple of nights of viewing, than it was last week.

Australian Story was a standout last night in reporting on the legendary Sydney Morning Herald reporter Malcolm Brown, using his story to tell the tale of the path of print journalism from its heyday to its current miserable state. There is a certain grim irony in that this story was better told by one of print’s greatest rivals, TV.

The audience responded, more than 900,000 metro and over 1.3 million national viewers. Hardly any representation in the younger demos, as you would expect. But then they will be the losers in years to come as their ignorance overtakes their understanding of the wider world. Last night’s Australian Story was also far superior in explaining the changes in journalism than that US tosh called The Newsroom which so many media luvvies and downloaders like because it was created by Aaron Sorkin who can’t do any wrong.

Q&A was its usual self, too much politics and not enough general discussion. Senator Eric Abetz’s failed to make one important point in his final comments on how he would like to see more success celebrated in this country (in a comment on the tall poppy syndrome). He instanced James Packer and Gina Rinehart but forgot that they inherited their wealth and successes (and Packer had a near death experience in the GFC). Others have built their success from little or just a good idea. Like many in the media and business (such as the The Australian Financial Review and News Limited papers), Senator Abetz has the wrong end of the tall poppy syndrome and can’t see it.

UK Ratings Update: The latest ratings from the UK show that the Channel Seven version of The X Factor in Australia is a standout performer at the moment with solid ratings (over four million viewers a week nationally), compared to the way the British version is fading.

The Australian version’s ratings have held up well this year, from the strong year in 2011, but not so the program on ITV in the UK. There it has lost between 1.5 and 2 million viewers this year, compared with 2011 and is down nearly 4 million on the peak 2010 series. Last weekend the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing (known as Dancing With The Stars on Seven here), beat X Factor on Saturday and Sunday night (9.6 million on Saturday and 9.2 million on Sunday compared with 8.4 million on Saturday and 9.18 million on Sunday for X Factor).

Downton Abbey continues to rate well and Sunday night’s ep had 9.51 million viewers on ITV. Homeland had 2.17 million on Channel 4, so its a small cult hit there.

Tonight: The X Factor and Winners & Losers on Seven. The Big Bang Theory on Nine as well as Big Brother, which is now in its last week. Ten has NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles (both new, according to the guides) and two half hour episodes of Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals (and on Thursday). ABC1 is Foreign Correspondent and then a doco on the Australian wine industry. SBS ONE has Dateline and Insight.

The top 10 national programs (metro & regional, Tasmania and regional WA combined):

  1. The X Factor (Seven) — 2.180 million.
  2. Nine News, Seven News — 1.639 million.
  3. ABC News (7pm) — 1.524 million.
  4. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.513 million.
  5. Big Brother (Nine) — 1.377 million.
  6. Today Tonight (Seven) — 1.326 million.
  7. Four Corners (ABC1) — 1.323 million.
  8. Australian Story (ABC1) — 1.315 million.
  9. The Mentalist (Nine) — 1.180 million.
  10. 7.30 (ABC1) — 1.163 million.

The Metro Winners:

  1. The X Factor (Seven, 7.30pm) — 1.417 million.
  2. Seven News (6pm) — 1.105 million.
  3. Nine News (6pm) — 1.100 million.
  4. Today Tonight (Seven, 6.30pm) — 1.073 million.
  5. Big Brother (Nine, 7pm) — 1.063 million.
  6. ABC News (7pm) — 1.044 million.
  7. Home and Away (Seven, 7pm) — 1.022 million.

The Losers: Ten. It it wasn’t for the two Modern Family repeats at 7pm (635,000 metro and 889,000 national viewers) and 7.30pm (690,000 and 925,000 national viewers), Ten would have been left right out, especially in the 16 to 49 demos. Can of Worms at 8.30pm, 567,000 metro and 796,000 national viewers.

That made Ten a very distant fourth and weak in the demos as well as its core audience hangs on in hope of better times to come. Scandal on Seven around 9.45pm, 317,000 metro and national 506,000 viewers. That’s why Nine managed to to get closer to Seven for a second Monday night after The X Factor had dominated for 75 minutes of TV.Metro News & CA: Nine News won Sydney and Melbourne (by a huge 137,000 viewers). Seven News won the rest. Today Tonight reversed the Sydney News result and beat A Current Affair by 37,000, after Nine News had won by 30,000. But ACA won Melbourne (by 87,000) and Brisbane (narrowly), but lost Adelaide and Perth (by 107,000).

  1. Seven News (6pm) — 1.105 million.
  2. Nine News (6pm) — 1.100 million.
  3. Today Tonight (Seven, 6.30pm) — 1.073 million.
  4. ABC News (7pm) — 1.044 million.
  5. A Current Affair (Nine, 6.30pm) — 964,000.
  6. Australian Story (ABC 1, 8pm) — 908,000.
  7. Four Corners (ABC1, 8.30pm) — 897,000.
  8. Media Watch (ABC1, 9.20pm) — 792,000.
  9. 7.30 (ABC1, 7.30pm) — 774,000.
  10. Ten News (5pm) — 651,000.
  11. The Project (Ten, 6.30pm) — 568,000.
  12. Q&A (ABC 1, 9.35pm) — 567,000 + on News 24.
  13. The Project (Ten, 6pm) — 426,000.
  14. Lateline (ABC1, 10.35pm) — 292,000.
  15. SBS News (6.30pm) — 169,000.
  16. Ten Late News (Ten, 10.30pm) — 164,000.
  17. The Business (ABC 1, 11.10pm, repeat) — 131,000.
  18. SBS Late News (10.30pm) — 52,000.
  19. The Drum (News 24, 6pm) — 31,000.

*On News 24 simulcast

In the morning: Today and Sunrise are now neck and neck. Ten is still far behind, despite a slight improvement in the past month or so.

  1. Sunrise (Seven, 7am) — 367,000.
  2. Today (Nine, 7am) — 362,000.
  3. The Morning Show (Seven, 9am) — 165,000.
  4. Mornings (Nine, 9am) — 128,000.
  5. News Breakfast (ABC1, 7am) — 46,000 + 23,000 on News 24.
  6. Breakfast (Ten, 7am) — 36,000.

Metro FTA: Seven (three channels) won with a share of 29.6%, from Nine (three) on 28.6%, the ABC (four) was on 20.1%, Ten (three) ended on 16.6% and SBS (two) was on 5.1%. Seven leads the week with 29.5% from Nine on 28.4%, the ABC is on 19.4% and Ten is on 18.1%.

Main Channels: Seven won by 21.9%, from Nine on 21.0%, ABC 1 was on 15.6%, Ten was on 11.7% and SBS ONE ended on 34%. Seven leads the week with 21.8% from Nine with 21.3%, ABC 1 is on 15.2% and Ten is back on 12.0%.

Metro Digital: 7TWO won with a share of 4.8%, from GO on 4.3%, Gem was on 3.3%, Eleven ended on 3.1%, 7mate was on 3.0%, ABC 3 ended on 2.6%, ONE was on 1.7%, along with SBS TWO, while ABC3 ended with 1.0% and News 24 was on 0.9%. the 10 digital channels had an FTA share last night of 26.4%. GO leads the week with 4.3%, from 7mate on 4.2% and 7mate on 3.5%.

Metro including Pay TV: Seven (three channels) won with a share of 24.9%, from Nine (three) on 24.0%, the ABC (four) was on 16.9%, Ten (three) ended on 13.9% and SBS (two) was on 4.3%. the 15 FTA channels had a total viewing share last night of 86.2%. The 10 digital channels share was 21.1%, the five main channels share was 65,3%. The 200 plus channels on Foxtel have pay TV a share of 13.8%, a bit lower than we have seen in recent weeks.

The top five pay TV channels were:

  1. Fox8 — 2.7%.
  2. TV1 — 2.3%.
  3. Nick Jr — 1.9%.
  4. A&E — 1.8%.
  5. UKTV, LifeStyle — 1.7%.

The five most-watched programs on pay TV were:

  1. Futurama (Fox8 ) — 79,000.
  2. Family Guy (Fox8 ) — 75,000.
  3. New Tricks (UKTV) — 66,000.
  4. The Simpsons (Fox8 ) — 57,000.
  5. Tickety Tock (Nick Jr) — 56,000.

Regional: Prime/7Qld (three channels) won with a share of 33.4%, from WIN/NBN (three) on 27.3%, the ABC (four) was on 19.5%, SC Ten (three) ended on 15.4% and SBS (two) was on 4.4%. Prime/7Qld won the main channels with 23.5%, from WIN/NBN on 18.5%, ABC 1 was on 14.4% and SC Ten ended on 9.5%. The digitals were won by 7TWO with 7.2%, GO was on 4.8% and Gem ended on 4.0%.

The 10 digital channels had an FTA share last night of a high 30.8%. Prime/7Qld leads the week with 32.4%, from WIN/NBN on 27.4%, the ABC ended on 19.3% and SC Ten was on 16.4%. The give list includes data from Tasmania and regional WA.

The five most-watched programs in regional markets were:

  1. The X Factor — 763,000.
  2. Seven News (6pm) — 534,000.
  3. Nine News (6pm) — 529,000
  4. Home and Away — 491,000.
  5. ABC News (7pm) — 479,000.

Major Metro Markets: Nine won Sydney and Melbourne overall and the main channels with Seven second and the ABC/ABC1 third. In Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, Seven won from Nine and the ABC/ABC1, except in Perth where ABC1 was again second in the main channels and Nine was third. Meanwhile, 7TWO won the digitals in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. GO won Melbourne. Nine leads Seven and the ABC in Sydney and Melbourne. Seven leads Nine and the ABC in Adelaide and Perth, while Ten is still third in Brisbane behind Seven and Nine.

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

Source: Oztam, TV Networks data