A quick look at last night’s telly numbers and it was the usual story – Seven news winning the night, The Block tops for entertainment.
However, one notable number was the ABC’s venerable post-news current affairs show, 7.30. It managed just 438,000 viewers, meaning it shed 132,000 viewers from the ABC’s 7pm news bulletin.
Could it be a case that viewers aren’t taking to new host Sarah Ferguson? Could it be the new Labor government? Or, are viewers simply turning off harder edged politics?
The ABC’s other political gabfest, Q+A, has also slumped in the ratings. Last Thursday’s episode pulling a paltry 165,000 viewers (OzTAM metro) which prompted TV industry site TV Blackbox to speculate Aunty bosses were set to axe the long-running show.
Anyway, back to last night’s numbers. Nine won the night (32.5 per cent audience share) with a series of blows from The Block (796,000), its 6pm news (751,000) and ACA (653,000).
Seven was second with 25.3 per cent of all of last night’s eyeballs. Its best were its 6pm news bulletin (917,000), The Chase (517,000) and Home And Away (488,000).
The ABC was third with 17.7 per cent of eyeballs. Doers for Aunty (news aside) were its comedy shows Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell (460,000) and a repeat of Hard Quiz (419,000).
That meant 10 took fourth and 15 per cent. Its best were The Project (298,000), a repeat of The Dog House (289,000) and 10 News First (273,000).
SBS had 9.4 per cent of all of last night’s telly watchers.
