source: Sydney Morning Herald 12 March, 2010

There’s been a decided shift in television viewing numbers already in 2010 and it seems to be a nationwide trend. Here in Newcastle we have been intrigued by the difference in audience numbers this year compared to the same time last year.

So far there seems to be an average of 20,000 less viewers per top 10 program than for the corresponding week in 2009. For example the #1 program in Newcastle for week 10, 2010 was The Mentalist with 84,000 viewers. The #5 program was NBN  Saturday News with 67,000 viewers and the #10 program was Talkin’ Bout Your Generation on SC TEN with 55,000 viewers.

IN 2009 for the week ending 3 March (corresponding week) here are the numbers: #1 Underbelly on NBN with 124,000 viewers, #5 RSPCA Animal Rescue on Prime with 86,000 viewers and #10 CSI on NBN with 75,000 viewers. Of course, Underbelly is a standout ratings winner but the #1 program last week had less viewers than the #5 program last year.

As you can see there are about 20,000 less viewers for the main Free-to-Air channels. And this is happening every week.

Now the national media are picking up on the trend. The rest of this post is taken from today’s Sydney Morning Herald.

Read the rest of this entry »

Media Release from Prime

PRIME is pleased to announce the launch date for its eagerly anticipated free-to-air digital channel 7TWO on PRIME, a broad entertainment channel set to bolster PRIME’s leadership in the regional television market.

7TWO on PRIME is more of what audiences love about PRIME.  More drama, more lifestyle, more reality, more comedy, more movies, more first class entertainment, free for everyone.

The new channel will launch on Wednesday 23 December at 9.00am on digital Channel 62.

Read the rest of this entry »

Source: Karl Quinn, Sydney Morning Herald

Television broadcasters have been roused from their slumber by a flurry of innovations. But will technology save them or signal their end?

Yesterday, Australia got its newest free-to-air television station when Kevin Rudd flicked the switch on ABC3. The just-for-kids station will broadcast 15 hours a day,and brings to 12 the number of free-to-air channels Australians with a digital television or a digital set-top box can receive – a tripling of free viewing options since 1980, and a doubling since 2005. But it’s just the beginning.

The TV broadcasting landscape is changing so quickly that predictions about what shape it will take are no longer flagged as coming soon but happening now.

Read the rest of this entry »

Source: Lara Sinclair, The Australian

ONLINE video viewing and social networking are set to dominate internet use over the coming year, according to two studies into new media and technology.

But whether — and how much — Australians will pay for the privilege remains a vexed question.

Four out of five Australians now watch video online, compared with just 25 per cent three years ago, according to Universal McCann’s annual Wave report that tracks internet usage.

Over the same period, creating a profile on a social networking site tripled to about 60 per cent, making it the second most popular activity, the research showed.

The data coincides with the findings of a Telsyte study into digital content that found social networking was the fastest-growing online activity, although email remained the most common reason for using the net.

Read the rest of this entry »

Source: MediaSpy

The Seven Network’s first attempt at a multichannel, 7TWO, has commenced broadcasting in the Tasmanian and Darwin television markets.

The channel is being carried by local broadcaster Southern Cross Television, who already operate the Seven Network affiliate in both areas. Southern Cross announced their intention to broadcast the channel from the beginning of December, soon after its metropolitan launch last month.

As of 7:30 PM local time, viewers in these areas received the first broadcasts of the new service after a localised countdown to the launch concluded.

This marks the first of the free-to-air multichannels being broadcast in the Darwin region. Tasmania, however, now enjoys the same television variety as the mainland capitals, as the area has received both Go! and One HD for some months already.

This move has only further infuriated viewers in the Regional New South Wales and Victorian markets, who are still yet to receive any notification of when their local Seven Network affiliate, Prime Television, will commence broadcasting the new channel.

Source: David Dale, Sun Herald blogs

To mark the end of the “official” ratings year, the networks have started telling their tales. Amazingly, it seems that everybody won. Here’s a roundup of the stories so far …

Read the rest of this entry »

Source: smh.com.au / AAP

The Seven Network has won the TV ratings battle for the third year running, but Network Ten boasts the highest rating TV events of the year, thanks to MasterChef Australia and the AFL grand final.

With the official ratings period now wrapped up, Seven is the clear winner, scoring the highest audience share across the board, with or without its digital channels.

The networks disagree about using multi-channel figures, with Nine and Ten keen to use them but Seven not.

Read the rest of this entry »

After weeks of mystifying silence from regional broadcaster Prime regarding whether and when they would begin broadcasting the new digital channel 7TWO, Paul Ramsay has spoken. Unfortunately the answer was rather inconclusive.

Prime Television has given it’s first indication that the station is preparing to carry a second channel during the opening address by Chairman of Prime Media Group, Paul Ramsay at their Annual General Meeting yesterday.

Ramsay told attendees that Prime will be in a position to launch their second channel either by years end or early next year, after the completion of their infrastructure upgrade.  No indication was given to whether Prime would take 7Two as a whole service, or would create their own service.

Meanwhile, revenue for the television arm of Prime Media Group has dropped 3 percent in the last 12 months, but has fared better then other regional broadcasters, which according to Prime is thanks in part to the strength of programming supplied by the Seven Network.

 The Newcastle TV Ratings, week ending November 21

Note: These ratings results are compiled using the combined resources of SC TEN, NBN & Prime’s weekly AGB Nielsen Media Research reports.

All the stations ratings seem to stay on a constant plateau, except SC TEN. Why is that? What is this station doing right or wrong each week that it’s ratings are like a yo-yo?

NBN keeps a steady win in the 30’s, Prime a consecutive 2nd place around the 20’s, but what about SC TEN? This station, every week, keeps rising and falling around the high teens.

Where do you keep disappearing to SC TEN?

Check out who made the Top Ten Most Watched Programs for last week.  Read the rest of this entry »

The National TV Ratings
Week ending November 21
Source: David Dale, Sun Herald Blogs

Channel Seven consolidated its victory for the year, averaging 30.0 per cent of the prime time audience last week (a figure that includes the audience for 7TWO). Nine and GO drew 27.4, Ten and ONE 20.1, ABC1&2 17.1 and SBS1&2 5.4. Go below to see what women watched last week.

Pay TV boosted its share of viewing last week, apparently because the free to air stations seem to have declared the silly season two weeks early. This was Pay’s account of itself: “The ‘Tiger Woods show’ topped the week with FOX Sport’s coverage of Live: Golf: JBWere Masters drawing 152,000 viewers. In other sport, Rugby League: Four Nations was watched by 88,000 people, Live: Football: A-League Bris v Melb had 73,000 viewers and Live: Cricket: Ford Ranger Cup was seen by 69,000 people. Finally, in the early hours of Sunday morning, 63,000 dedicated fans watched the Socceroos beat Oman in Live: Football: AFC Asian Cup Qualifier Oman v Aust (all on FOX Sports).

Read the rest of this entry »