The ABC starred last night as the commercial networks (well, Seven and Nine) rested high profile programs or waited until Easter is over to resume hostilities. Ten continued to misfire, but did better last night because of the absence of programs like My Kitchen Rules on Seven and The Block on Nine.

The second part of ABC1’s Australian Story profile on Kerry Packer at 8pm stood out. It was almost an hour (over the two parts) of high class TV, without the interference of a reporter. It was a program the Nine Network with its DNA still dominated by the Packer family couldn’t bring itself to make, because of some of the raw and highly personal observations. The program had 1.551 million national/ 1.062 million metro/ 489,000 regional viewers and built on the audience for the first part a week ago. Australian Story was the third most watched program nationally last night — and the most watched non-news program nationally, in metro and regional markets as well.

In the ratings battle, Nine got home narrowly from Seven in metro markets. In regional markets Seven won overall, but Nine had more viewers in the important main channels. The ABC was a solid third everywhere, and in Sydney ABC1 (with 19.6%) beat Seven’s main channel ( on 17.5%) into second spot behind Nine, and was within a few tenths of a point in Melbourne. (17.3% for Seven, to 17.1% for ABC1).

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (28.0%)
  2. Seven (27.6%)
  3. ABC (22.5%)
  4. Ten (17.1%)
  5. SBS (4.7%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (20.9%)
  2. Seven (18.4%)
  3. ABC1 (16.8%)
  4. TEN (11.3%)
  5. SBS ONE (3.9%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. 7TWO (4.9%)
  2. GO (4.5%)
  3. 7mate (4.3%)
  4. ABC2 (3.2%)
  5. ONE  (3.1%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Nine News — 1.872 million
  2. Seven News — 1.564 million
  3. Australian Story (ABC1) — 1.551 million
  4. The Big Bang Theory repeat episode 2 (Nine) — 1.482 million
  5. Home and Away (Seven ) — 1.464 million
  6. ABC News — 1.417 million
  7. The Big Bang Theory repeat episode 1 (Nine) — 1.324 million
  8. 7.30  (ABC1) – 1.286 million
  9. Nine News 6.30, Revenge (Seven) — 1.186 million
  10. Dog Patrol (Seven) — 1.185 million

Top metro programs:

  1. Nine News — 1.268 million
  2. Nine News 6.30 — 1.186 million
  3. Seven News — 1.183 million
  4. Seven News / Today Tonight — 1.085 million
  5. Australian Story (ABC1) — 1.062 million
  6. The Big Bang Theory repeat episode 2 (Nine) — 1.015 million

Losers: Nine, Seven and Ten viewers. Only the ABC and SBS kept the faith last night with viewers. Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Nine News — 1.268 million
  2. Nine News 6.30 — 1.186 million
  3. Seven News — 1.183 million
  4. Seven News / Today Tonight — 1.085 million
  5. Australian Story (ABC 1) — 1.062 million
  6. ABC News — 956,000
  7. A Current Affair (Nine) — 937,000
  8. 7.30  (ABC1) – 878,000
  9. Four Corners (ABC1) — 672,000
  10. Ten Eyewitness News — 641,000

Metro morning TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 352,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 292,000
  3. The Morning Show (Seven) — 161,000
  4. Mornings (Nine) — 140,000
  5. News Breakfast (ABC 1, 59,000 + 49,000 on News 24) — 100,000
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 47,000
  7. Wake Up (Ten) — 30,000

Top pay TV channels:

  1. Fox Sports 1  (4.4%)
  2. Fox Sports 2 (2.6%)
  3. Fox 8 (2.5%)
  4. TVHITS!  (2.1%)
  5. Cartoon Network, LifeStyle  (2.0%)

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. NRL: St George v Melbourne (Fox Sports 1) – 350,000
  2. Monday Night With Matty Johns (Fox Sports 1) – 228,000
  3. Game of Thrones (showcase) — 149,000
  4. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) – 116,000
  5. AFL; on The Couch (Fox Footy) – 102,000

*Data © OzTAM Pty Limited 2013. The data may not be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of OzTAM. (All shares on the basis of combined overnight 6pm to midnight all people.) and network reports.