Source: David Dale, Sydney Morning Herald

For a while there it looked as if the only purpose of APEC was to give Kevin Rudd an opportunity to practise his Mandarin.

Now we know better: the purpose of APEC was to promote the ABC. And it worked. Not only did The Chaser’s War on Security get the highest audience ever for a comedy, but it dragged up the figures for the show that preceded it — Specks and Specks — and the show that followed it — Summer Heights High — and compensated for the absence of Midsomer Murders in the ABC’s schedule.

This news rather overshadowed Channel Seven’s revelation during the week that it is now unbeatable for the year. It had won 26 of the 28 official weeks so far, which enabled it to announce: "Seven now cannot be led in weekly wins in total viewers, and is number 1 in 2007 in weekly wins in total viewers and 25-54s - with only 12 weeks remaining in the current television year … This is Seven’s strongest audience delivery since the introduction of the Oztam peoplemeter ratings system in 2001.”

Seven also won last week, averaging 29.9 per cent of the prime time audience, while Nine got 25.5 per cent, Ten got 23.3, ABC got 16.2, and SBS 5.0. Nine, whose top drama Sea Patrol is sinking fast, will win the week of the rugby league grand final, but that may not save its reputation with advertisers.

What Australia watched, week ending September 15
1 THE CHASER’S WAR ON EVERYTHING ABC 2,285,000
2 KATH & KIM Seven 2,047,000
3 BORDER SECURITY Seven 1,892,000

4 MEDICAL EMERGENCY Seven 1,882,000
5 THANK GOD YOU’RE HERE 3 Ten 1,782,000
6 RSPCA ANIMAL RESCUE Seven 1,782,000
7 THE FORCE - BEHIND THE LINE-MON Seven 1,776,000

8 SEVEN NEWS - SUN Seven 1,699,000
9 SEVEN’S AFL: SEMI-FINAL 2: WEST COAST V COLLINGWOOD Seven 1,636,000
10 SPICKS AND SPECKS ABC 1,622,000
11 NINE NEWS SUNDAY Nine 1,601,000
12 AUSTRALIAN IDOL Ten 1,544,000
13 RPA Nine 1,467,000
14 HOT PROPERTY Seven 1,464,000
15 SUMMER HEIGHTS HIGH ABC 1,459,000

Most watched programs:
1 Sea Patrol NBN 69000
2 Rugby League Finals - Semi Eels v Bulldogs NBN 68000

3 Prime News Monday to Friday PRIME 66000

4 Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show NBN 61000

5 Medical Emergency PRIME 60000

6 RSPCA Animal Rescue PRIME 56000

7 Rugby League Finals - QF4 Storm v Broncos NBN 56000

8 NBN Evening News Sunday NBN 54000

9 Seven News Monday to Friday PRIME 53000

10 60 Minutes NBN 53000

Station ratings:
                Week 37
2007    Week 37
2006     Prog
2007     Prog
2006

NBN             35.6                 33.4                     30.7             33.6

PRIME         28.2                 30.1                     31.9             29.9

TEN             18.7                 19.6                     19.6             20.1

ABC             13.7                 13.2                     13.1             12.2

SBS             3.9                     3.8                     4.7               4.2

Most watched programs

1 The Chasers War on Everything ABC 135000
2 NBN Evening News Sunday NBN 105000
3 NBN Evening News Saturday NBN 101000
4 Backyard Blitz NBN 100000
5 Thank God You’re Here 3 TEN 100000
6 Spicks & Specks ABC 98000
7 A Current Affair NBN 96000
8 NBN Evening News Monday to Friday NBN 93000
9 Rugby League Finals - QF4 Storm v Broncos NBN 89000
10 Summer Heights High ABC 89000

Station ratings:

                Week 37
2007     Week 37
2006     Prog
2007     Prog
2006

NBN             35.0                     37.0                 34.7             37.0

PRIME         23.6                     21.9                 24.8             22.2

TEN             20.0                     17.0                 18.2             19.1

ABC             15.6                     18.2                 16.3             16.0

SBS             5.8                         5.9                 5.9                 5.6

Most watched programs:
1 Prime News Monday to Friday PRIME 74000

2 McLeods Daughters NBN 72000

3 Seven News Monday to Friday PRIME 68000

4 Rugby League Finals - QF 1 Warriors v Eels NBN 67000

5 NBN Evening News Sunday NBN 59000

6 Rugby League Finals - QF 2 Cowboys v Bulldogs NBN 58000

7 60 Minutes NBN 57000

8 Sea Patrol NBN 56000

9 The Force PRIME 55000

10 Border Security PRIME 53000

Station ratings:
            Week 36
2007     Week 36
2006     Prog
2007     Prog
2006

NBN         35.8                     39.1                 30.6             33.6

PRIME     28.3                     28.8                 32.0             29.9

TEN         18.8                     15.2                 19.6             20.1

ABC         12.8                     13.2                 13.1             12.2

SBS           4.3                     3.6                     4.7              4.2

Most watched programs:
1 Rugby League Finals - QF 2 Cowboys v Bulldogs NBN 107000
2 Rugby League Finals - QF 3 Eagles v Rabbitohs NBN 104000

3 Rugby League Finals - QF 1 Warriors v Eels NBN 103000

4 NBN Evening News Saturday NBN 97000

5 NBN Evening News Sunday NBN 87000

6 Kath & Kim PRIME 86000

7 Medical Emergency PRIME 84000

8 RSPCA Animal Rescue PRIME 83000

9 Big Dog Goodnight NBN 82000

10 RPA NBN 81000

Station Ratings:
                Week 36
2007     Week 36
2006     Prog
2007     Prog
2006
NBN             35.7                     40.4                 34.7             37.0
PRIME         24.9                     20.4                 24.9             22.3
TEN             17.7                     16.3                 18.2             19.2
ABC             16.2                     17.5                 16.3             15.9
SBS             5.5                         5.3                 5.9                 5.6

Source: David Dale, Sydney Morning Herald
I

t’s not a unique occurrence in the history of Australian television,
but it’s rare: all but one of the programs in the top 20 last week were
Australian. Equally rare is that the only non-Australian program is
British, not American, and that the ABC has more shows in the top 20
than Channel Ten (Seven has 11 shows, Nine four, ABC three and Ten two).

The explanation must be that this is an all round peculiar time of
year, as the nation splits geographically along faultlines of footy.
Channel Nine, with the help of rugby league, easily won the week in
Sydney, while Channel Seven, with the help of AFL (which it shares with
Ten), narrowly won the week across the nation.

In Sydney, Nine averaged 30.4 per cent of the prime time audience,
while Seven averaged 27.5.

The audience shares over the mainland
capitals were Seven 28.9 per cent, Nine 27.2, Ten 22.1, ABC 16.7, and
SBS 5.1.

What Australia watched, week ending September 8
1 BORDER SECURITY Seven 1,904,000
2 THANK GOD YOU’RE HERE Ten 1,848,000
3 KATH & KIM Seven 1,817,000
4 THE FORCE - MON Seven 1,815,000
5 RSPCA ANIMAL RESCUE Seven 1,764,000
6 CITY HOMICIDE Seven 1,717,000 492,000
7 MEDICAL EMERGENCY Seven 1,707,000
8 NINE NEWS SUNDAY Nine 1,506,000
9 THE CHASER’S WAR ON EVERYTHING ABC 1,495,000
10 MIDSOMER MURDERS ABC 1,468,000
11 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,432,000
12 SPICKS AND SPECKS ABC 1,417,000
13 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,410,000
14 RPA Nine 1,395,000
15 60 MINUTES Nine 1,394,000

Source: Miriam Steffens, Sydney Morning Herald

THE WIN Corp owner, Bruce Gordon, has lost his seven-month tug of war with PBL Media, signing an agreement that will increase the fees the regional television broadcaster has to pay for Nine Network’s programs.

But he managed to fend off a hefty rate increase.

Under a five-year deal signed yesterday afternoon, WIN will give Nine an estimated 35 per cent of its regional advertising revenue, up from the 32 per cent it paid previously.

Mr Gordon wanted to cut the fees to 29 per cent to reflect Nine’s audience decline, and bring his rates in line with what his rivals, Southern Cross Broadcasting and Prime Television, pay to Seven and Ten. Nine had demanded 40 per cent of sales, and tried to lock him into a 10-year contract.

"The new agreement is a good compromise reflecting the higher cost of our content and our need to invest in the network, at the same time ensuring WIN National Network has capacity to invest and grow its business," the head of PBL Media, Ian Law, said in a statement.

Read the rest of this entry »

  Source: WIN Television

Andrew Gordon, WIN Corporation Chairman today announced a programming deal with the Seven Network to deliver Seven Network programming to WIN regional South Australia viewers, replacing the current Nine Network schedule.

WIN’s regional South Australia program line-up will be headlined by major sports coverage, the highest-rating new series in the current American television season and the biggest programmes on Australian television from the Seven Network.

WIN Corporation Chairman, Andrew Gordon said Seven is acknowledged as the leader in sports television.

“Sports coverage leads the assault on Seven, alongside a host of great Australian programmes and some of the biggest shows on television as the network moves towards its coverage of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing in 2008,” Mr Gordon said.

“South Australians love AFL and AFL dominates Seven’s sporting commitment.”

“We’re confident our South Australian viewers will welcome this new line-up”.

David Leckie, Chief Executive Officer of Seven Media Group and the Seven Network, said: “We are pleased to have secured a partnership with WIN Corporation in South Australia. Seven is the market leader in Australia, with a commitment to local news and public affairs, Sunrise, AFL and the best in primetime programming, and we look forward to extending this leadership throughout South Australia.”

Seven delivers all-encompassing coverage of the Australian Open (along with four other major Australian tennis events and the Davis Cup), and delivers a one-two punch with the biggest sport in Australia - the Australian Football League, with coverage of the pre-season NAB Cup, the AFL Premiership Season and the AFL Finals Series; and the fastest-growing spectator sport: V8 Supercars.

Seven’s year in sport also includes coverage of all major horse racing events including the Melbourne Cup Carnival, major golf events, including The Australian Open, the Australian Masters and the PGA Championship of Australia and the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race.

Seven will also follow the Wallabies’ test campaign in rugby union, including The Bledisloe Cup and The Tri-Nations Series.

WIN Corporation CEO George Papadopoulos said Seven will continue its success and momentum in regional SA with an extremely strong program line-up.

“Seven’s new and regular programs have been going from strength to strength and the Network’s commitment to Australian produced entertainment such as City Homicide, All Saints, Dancing With the Stars, It Takes Two, Kath & Kim, Australia’s Got Talent, Border Security and Home & Away is unmatched,” Mr Papadopoulos said.

“We’re very pleased to deliver these programs to our regional South Australian viewers.”

The entertainment keeps coming with My Name is Earl, Las Vegas, Scrubs, Heroes, Ugly Betty, Brothers and Sisters and Shark joining the established favourites - Desperate Housewives, Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds, Bones and Prison Break.

WIN General Manager, South Australia, Robin Reid reinforced WIN’s commitment to delivering local news across the Limestone Coast including Mount Gambier, Naracoorte, Millicent, Bordertown, Riverland, Berri, Loxton, Barmera and Renmark.

“WIN News produces ‘live’ half-hour bulletins each weeknight from 19 different regional centres across the country plus a 7-day a week bulletin in Tasmania,” Reid said.

“Every WIN News bulletin provides comprehensive local news, sport and weather and our commitment to local news will not waver in South Australia.”

WIN Network’s regional South Australian viewers should expect the new schedule sometime in October 2007.

Most watched programs:
1 Prime News Monday to Friday PRIME 65000
2 60 Minutes NBN 60000

3 Seven News Monday to Friday PRIME 59000

4 RSPCA Animal Rescue PRIME 58000

5 The Force PRIME 58000

6 NBN Evening News Sunday NBN 57000

7 Friday Night Football NBN 54000

8 My Name is Earl PRIME 53000

9 Kath & Kim PRIME 52000

10 Border Security PRIME 51000

Station ratings:
                Week 35
2007     Week 35
2006     Prog
2007     Prog
2006
NBN             30.4                     33.5                 30.4             33.4
PRIME         34.7                     31.2                 32.2             29.9
TEN             16.7                     20.5                 19.6             20.3
ABC             13.8                     11.2                 13.1             12.2
SBS              4.4                        3.6                 4.7                4.3

Prime have a hit on their hands with the commercial return of Kath and Kim to our screens. The foxy morons from Fountain Lake had the most watched program in Newcastle last week. K&K also gave Earl a great lead in to grab 5th spot. TEN only had one show in the top 10 programs yet out-rated Prime for the week due to strong Idol figures.

Most watched programs:
1 Kath & Kim PRIME 109000

2 Sea Patrol NBN 102000

3 NBN Evening News Sunday NBN 96000

4 Spicks & Specks ABC 96000

5 My Name is Earl PRIME 95000

6 A Current Affair NBN 93000

7 NBN Evening News Monday to Friday NBN 92000

8 NBN Evening News Saturday NBN 88000

9 The Footy Show NBN 87000

10 House TEN 86000

Station Ratings:
                Week 35
2007     Week 35
2006     Prog
2007     Prog
2006

NBN             32.0                     37.0                 34.6             36.9

PRIME         22.0                     20.5                 24.9             22.3

TEN             23.1                     19.0                 18.2             19.3

ABC             15.5                     17.3                 16.3             15.9

SBS             7.4                        6.2                 6.0                5.6