ABC enjoys a big week in National TV ratings

18Sep07

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

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