Seven Shines
The Age
Thursday September 18, 2008
FROM the start of the year, there has been speculation about what the Olympics might mean for Seven. Sure, the investment in the Beijing extravaganza, which has been estimated at $90million to cover the broadcast rights and production costs, would give the network an unbeatable couple of weeks in August. But then what?
Would that platform provide the boost Seven wanted through "the back end", the final stretch of the ratings year that runs to November? Would it be able to build on its pre-Olympics audience, enticing new viewers to stay on and sample the goodies after the final race was run? Would there be what some commentators have called a "halo effect", bathing the network in a warm post-Olympics glow?On the basis of the two weeks post-Olympics, the network's investment continues to reap rewards and the halo is looking nice and shiny. Seven has won both weeks comfortably and viewers have been tuning into its new offerings - Packed to the Rafters, Find My Family and The Outdoor Room - as well as affirming their loyalty to programs such as City Homicide, The Force, Border Security and RSPCA Animal Rescue. The standout success is the family drama Packed to the Rafters which, for the second consecutive week, was the top show nationally (1.96million viewers), as well as the most-watched one in Melbourne (669,000).Seven won the week in Melbourne with a 30.4% audience share, ahead of Nine (24.5%), Ten (22.8%), ABC1 (17.4%) and SBS (4.9%). It had 16 of the top 20 shows nationally and locally it claimed nine of the top 10 slots; Ten only got a look-in because of the AFL semi-final on Saturday night. The St Kilda v Collingwood match commanded the biggest footy audience last week, drawing 669,000 viewers and making it No.2 on the ratings ladder. Geelong v St Kilda on the previous weekend was No.6 (570,000) and Western Bulldogs v Sydney Swans on Friday was No.7 (556,000).If there's a disappointing performer for Seven it's Make Me a Supermodel, hosted by the heavily promoted Jennifer Hawkins. The model contest looked wobbly from its early episodes, which screened before the Olympics. It premiered to a disappointing 1.04million viewers, then rallied slightly to 1.18million. But by last week, Supermodel had dropped back to just over a million viewers (No.47 nationally).Meanwhile a notable tussle has continued on weeknights between Seven News and National Nine News. In Melbourne, this key 6pm slot is one of the most fiercely contested. Prior to the Olympics, Nine had claimed wins in 14 weeks to Seven's 11. Now, counting the bonanza Olympics weeks, Seven has grabbed the lead and, having won the last two weeks, has 15 wins to Nine's 14. Last week, Seven's news was No.17, averaging 402,000 viewers; National Nine News was No.25 with 382,000.Nine, somewhat surprisingly, is doing well with Two and a Half Men: Charlie Sheen's sitcom attracted 1.3million viewers on Wednesday (No.10 nationally) and averaged a very respectable 1.27million in its weeknight slot at 7pm.On Ten, Kenny's World, starring Shane Jacobson as adorable sanitation specialist Kenny Smyth, premiered to 1.12million viewers and was more enthusiastically embraced in Melbourne (400,000 viewers) than in Sydney (309,000).However Ten's tacky dating show Taken Out was bumped to 6pm as Ten reverted to more popular repeats of Friends at 7pm.
© 2008 The Age
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