Prime closed the gap a little more on NBN last week with just 2.0 separating the two stations in Newcastle. A week earlier NBN had a 2.8 point lead. NBN will be praying for the one day cricket to  go to a third game to  keep the numbers up for another week, as this has been the difference in the last two weeks. This year could be the closest we have ever been to seeing TV ratings figures in Newcastle reflecting the national mood. Traditionally NBN has seemed to enjoy a unique status that allowed it to perform well here despite the Nine network suffering nationally. Last week Seven just pipped Nine nationally and Prime has gone close in Newcastle. Has the "incumbent" legacy finally expired?

Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 1%

Results tightened up a little this week after NBN’s strong start to the first week of official ratings. Prime finished a strong second to NBN, just 2.8 points behind. Underbelly was the start performer again, actually increasing audience from week 1 and proving that networks may be rewarded if they are willing to invest in quality programming.

Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 1%

The first television rating week has been run and convincingly won by NBN. The decision by the Nine Network and NBN to run cricket in the first month of survey appears to have paid off. Nine won the week nationally and NBN cleaned up in Newcastle. Still its only week one and the cricket will come to an end soon.

How did my predictions stack up in week one? 

Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 1%

The summer silly season grinds to a halt this weekend as the formal TV ratings system kicks back into gear for 2008. And what an intriguing year it promises to be in the Hunter ratings race, with plenty of anticipation and uncertainty.

2007 ended with NBN winning every ratings week, but looking nervously over their shoulders as Prime came within a whisker of taking their first ever non-Olympics winning weeks. While NBN claimed the mantle of ratings winners, it seemed Prime were a lot happier, having stitched up the 25-54 audience against NBN’s aging viewers. SC Ten finished the year a little stronger and performed well in their target audience of 16-39 years. It set up an eagerly awaited battle for 2008.

Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 1%

Source: Anita Beaumont, The (Newcastle) Herald

Prime Television’s Australian Open tennis has delivered the network a rare weekly ratings win in Newcastle.

In the week beginning January 20, Prime’s blanket tennis coverage dominated evening viewing in the Hunter, winning four of the seven nights.

Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 6%

Source: Newcastle Herald

Prime Television has had its best year in its 15-year history in Newcastle, closing the gap on NBN.

Prime benefited from the success of Kath & Kim, City Homicide and Dancing With the Stars.

Its news performed well, as did current affairs show Today Tonight.

Ratings figures show Prime increased its audience share for
prime-time viewing from 6pm to midnight by 3.07 percentage points this
year.

The ratings season began in February and ended last Saturday.

The figures, which were released yesterday, showed Prime had 25.36
per cent of Newcastle’s audience, compared with 22.29 per cent last
year.

A Prime spokeswoman said the increase “definitely came at the expense of NBN”.

“It’s been the best year in our history,” she said.

NBN has fallen from 36.95 per cent of the audience last year to 33.75 per cent.
Network Ten went from 19.09 per cent last year to 18.6 per cent.

Prime made gains in the Newcastle news hour, which runs from 6pm weekdays.

Prime gained 6.24 percentage points to secure 28.89 per cent of the average audience share.

NBN lost 6.7 points, dropping to 45.54 per cent of audience share.

Newcastle’s top show of the year was the NBN news Newcastle flood
special, attracting 192,330 viewers, followed by the second State of
Origin rugby league match with an audience of 182,254.

Rugby league programs secured 16 of the top 20 programs.
The spring specials of Burke’s Backyard, the finales of The Biggest Loser, Big Brother and Dancing With the Stars and Kath & Kim and Sea Patrol polled strongly.

Other programs to do well included Summer Heights High, The Chaser’s War on Everything, Thank God You’re Here, Australian Idol’s first semi-final and Backyard Blitz.

On the national scene, Seven defeated Nine in all major timeslots.

In September, The Chaser’s War On Everything APEC motorcade stunt drew 2.24 million viewers, one of the best results for an ABC show.

SBS retained its audience share of 5.5 per cent, on the back of repeat successes such as Top Gear and Inspector Rex.

Popularity: 1%

Most watched programs:

1    The Chaser Decides 2007    ABC    99000
2    Farmer Wants A Wife    NBN    99000
3    NBN Evening News Sunday    NBN    87000
4    Dancing With The Stars 7 Grand Final    PRIME    84000
5    A Current Affair    NBN    83000
6    NBN Evening News Monday to Friday    NBN    79000
7    Missing Persons Unit    NBN    79000
8    CSI: Crime Scene Investigation    NBN    77000
9    La Galaxy v Sydney FC    TEN    76000
10    Cold Case    NBN    76000

Station ratings:

                Week 48 2007    Week 48 2006    Prog 2007    Prog 2006
NBN                31.0                    38.4                33.8            36.6
PRIME            27.2                    23.3                25.4            22.4
TEN                21.0                    17.8                18.6            19.1
ABC                15.6                    14.7                16.4            16.1
SBS                5.3                        5.9                5.9                5.7

Popularity: 1%

Most watched programs:

1    City Homicide    PRIME    96000
2    Dancing With The Stars 7    PRIME    93000
3    NBN Evening News Sunday    NBN    85000
4    All Saints    PRIME    84000
5    NBN Evening News Monday to Friday    NBN    76000
6    The Brief    ABC    75000
7    Criminal Minds    PRIME    75000
8    CSI: Crime Scene Investigation    NBN    74000
9    Better Homes & Gardens    PRIME    72000
10  House 4    TEN   71000

Station ratings:

            Week 47 2007    Week 47 2006    Prog 2007    Prog 2006
NBN            29.7                    38.5                33.8            36.6
PRIME        27.1                    24.8                25.3            22.4
TEN            18.8                    16.3                18.5            19.2
ABC            18.3                    14.9                16.4            16.2
SBS            6.0                        5.5                5.9               5.6

Popularity: 1%

Most watched programs:

1    City Homicide    PRIME    99000
2    Dancing With The Stars 7    PRIME    85000
3    A Current Affair    NBN    83000
4    The Chasers War on Everything    ABC    78000
5    All Saints    PRIME    78000
6    Farmer Wants A Wife    NBN    78000
7    NBN Evening News Monday to Friday    NBN    77000
8    NBN Evening News Sunday    NBN    76000
9    NBN Evening News Saturday    NBN    76000
10    Spicks & Specks    ABC    74000

Station ratings:

            Week 46 2007    Week 46 2006    Prog 2007    Prog 2006
NBN            30.5                    35.7                33.9            36.6
PRIME        26.5                    24.8                25.3            22.4
TEN            20.0                    17.0                18.5            19.2
ABC            17.5                    16.6                16.4            16.2
SBS            5.5                       5.9                5.9               5.7

Popularity: 1%

NBN bounced back last week to record their strongest result since the end of the winter football season. The last 3 weeks have seen Prime closing the ratings gap, however week 45 saw NBN enjoy a more familiar 5 point buffer as their News and A Current Affair performed better.

Most watched programs:
1    The 2007 Melbourne Cup Carnival    PRIME    108000
2    NBN Evening News Monday to Friday    NBN    96000
3    A Current Affair    NBN    90000
4    Medical Emergency    PRIME    82000
5    New Tricks – Ev    ABC    81000
6    Missing Persons Unit    NBN    80000
7    Dancing With The Stars 7    PRIME    78000
8    City Homicide    PRIME    78000
9    CSI: Crime Scene Investigation    NBN    77000
10    The Gift    NBN    75000

Station ratings:
                Week 45 2007    Week 45 2006    Prog 2007    Prog 2006
NBN                31.7                    32.3                34.0            36.6
PRIME            26.4                    26.1                25.2            22.3
TEN                19.6                    19.4                18.5            19.3
ABC                17.5                    17.0               16.4            16.2
SBS                4.9                        5.3                5.9              5.6

Popularity: 1%