Glenn Dyer’s TV ratings: viewers head to the beach

Not the best of weekends to be watching TV. Seven can claim bragging rights in the metros by a solid margin, but in the regions, it won by a country kilometre or daylight. Ten was third and the ABC fourth in the metros, but in the regions that was reversed and the ABC was a clear third. Ten’s offerings remain well and truly on the nose in regional Australia on most nights, even in summer. The Big Bash cricket though should change that when it starts shortly. Nine is running Gotham in summer — an admission that the Batman prequel has died in Australia and won’t see primetime in 2015, unless the network is in a tough position. But nothing stood out last night. Bones and Castle didn’t really worry viewers on Seven. Tonight will be more of the same.

Test cricket starts tomorrow on Nine and it will be in the rare position of being a major news story — not just a sports yarn at the start of the summer snooze in Australia. Let’s hope the Nine Network doesn’t go overboard with the soppy stuff at the start. We know Phillip Hughes’ death remains a big part of our lives and especially of the Australian test team. Understated will be best — the old adage, less is more will apply here, from the graphics, to the camera work, the commentators and their comments and questions.

Network channel share:

1. Seven (32.2%)
2. Nine (25.9%)
3. Ten (18.7%)
4. ABC (15.1%)
5. SBS (8.1%)

Network main channels:

1. Seven (22.5%)
2. Nine (18.6%)
3. Ten (10.9%)
4. ABC (10.6%)
5. SBS ONE (5.8%)

Top digital channels: 

1. 7TWO (5.6%)
2. 7mate, Eleven (4.7%)
3. GO (4.1%)
4. Gem (3.2%)

Top metro programs:

1. Nine News — 1.125 million
2. Sunday Night – Summer (Seven) — 1.102 million
3. Seven News — 1.048 million

Losers: Summer is now upon us:  Insiders has gone to pasture, Bolt probably to Sky News and oblivion so far as the TV audience is concerned. Only sport and the occasional news and current affairs show-summer edition will be on air to tempt us. So it’s the digitals for repeats of golden oldies, a bit of streaming, books, shopping etc.Metro news and current affairs:

1. Nine News — 1.125 million
2. Sunday Night – Summer (Seven) — 1.102 million
3. Seven News — 1.048 million
4. 60 Minutes (Nine) — 709,000
5. ABC News  – 658,000
6. Ten Eyewitness News — 476,000
7. SBS World News — 148,000

Morning TV:

1. Insiders (ABC 235,000, 102,000 on News 24) — 337,000
2. Weekend Sunrise (Seven) – 291,000
3. Weekend Today (Nine) – 285,000
4. Offsiders (ABC) — 148,000
5. The Bolt Report repeat (Ten) — 127,000
6. The Bolt Report  (Ten) — 115,000

Top five pay TV channels:

1. Fox 8  (3.0%)
2. TV1  (2.3%)
3. LifeStyle  (2.0%)
4. UKTV (1.8%)
5. Fox Classics (1.7%)

Top five pay TV programs:

1. Jack Ryan Shadow Recruit (Foxtel Movies Premiere) — 92,000
2. A League: Melbourne V Brisbane (Fox Sports 4) — 77,000
3. Tora Tora Tora  (Fox Classics) — 64,000,000
4. Pawn Stars (A&E) — 61,000
5. Pawn Stars (A&E) — 61,000

*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.