Bye bye biffo
7Jul08

Source: David Dale, Sun Herald Blogs

Channel Nine and the ABC broke records last week, and Channel Seven
breathed a sigh of relief. The 2.14 million viewers in the mainland
capitals who watched last Wednesday’s State of Origin game was the
highest audience for such an event since OzTAM started measuring
ratings in 2001. The 1.25 million who gathered on Sunday to see Kylie
Minogue in French maid uniform was the highest audience for any Dr Who
episode.

And now that the big biffo is over until grand final time, Channel
Seven can get on with its attempt to prove it can win the second half
of the year without needing to include the two weeks of the Olympics.
Seven’s fightback continues tomorrow with episodes of an ancient Gordon
Ramsay series and on Wednesday with the replacement of Ugly Betty with the traditional family favourite RSPCA Animal Rescue, which is "counterprogrammed" against Nine’s Fire 000.

The ABC benefitted by providing a refuge for the biffophobes on Wednesday, drawing 1.1 million for both Spicks and Specks and The Gruen Transfer. SBS drew 872,000 for Top Gear (see the Top 40, below).

Seven is cheered by the notion that if Nine had not swamped
Wednesday with the State of Origin, the week’s audience shares would
have been very different from: Nine 29.5 per cent, Seven 27.6, Ten
19.8, ABC 17.5 and SBS 5.6.

What Australia watched, week ending July 5
1 STATE OF ORIGIN RUGBY LEAGUE 3 – MATCH Network 9 2,145,000
2 60 MINUTES Network 9 1,810,000
3 NINE NEWS SUNDAY Network 9 1,661,000
4 CITY HOMICIDE Network 7 1,611,000
5 AUSTRALIA’S GOT TALENT Network 7 1,587,000
6 SEVEN NEWS – SUN Network 7 1,571,000
7 SEVEN NEWS Network 7 1,557,000
8 DOMESTIC BLITZ Network 9 1,514,000
9 BORDER SECURITY (R) Network 7 1,503,000
10 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Network 7 1,495,000
11 CSI Network 9 1,469,000
12 STATE OF ORIGIN PRE MATCH Network 9 1,403,000
13 SURF PATROL Network 7 1,383,000
14 TODAY TONIGHT Network 7 1,369,000
15 HELL’S KITCHEN Network 9 1,354,000