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Who We Are

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Hey grandpa, come outside and play

By David Dale.
So, you're worried that the children of Australia are watching too much TV - filling their brains with junk when they should be doing homework, getting exercise and reading books.

Worry no more. Our kids are actually watching less television than they did two years ago. It's the parents and the grandparents who are turning their minds and their behinds to mashed potato.A comparison of viewing patterns in the first half of this year with viewing patterns in the first half of 2004 (see the table below) contains good news for Channel Seven, SBS and Pay TV and disastrous news for the ABC and Channel Nine.


Overall, viewing of television rose by 6 per cent, but there were big variations by network and by age. The main trends were:

Less viewing by people under 17 (down 5 per cent). Kids' consumption of pay TV is up 79 per cent on 2004, but since only a quarter of Australian homes are subscribers, that growth did not compensate for an 11 per cent fall in kids' viewing of free to air TV. It would be nice to think the under 17s were absorbing great literature or reducing the risk of obesity, but realistically, they are more likely to be playing video games or text messaging each other.

More viewing by people 40 to 54 (up 13 per cent) and people over 55 (up 9.5 per cent). The seniors are watching more Channel Nine, while the baby boomers are watching more Pay, Seven and SBS.

The ABC losing its traditional fan base. It used to be said of the ABC that it served the community from the cradle to the grave, but nothing in between. Now it is losing children (down 17 per cent on 2004) and over-55s (down 16 per cent).

SBS growing most with viewers aged 18 to 39 (up 48 per cent on 2004). They have traditionally been the property of Channel Ten, which will have to start showing soccer.

Channel Seven taking viewers from both Nine and Ten. Seven is up 25 per cent with viewers over 40, while Ten is down 12 per cent with this age group. With viewers 18-39, Nine is down 11 per cent and Seven is up 2 per cent. With women, Nine is down 5 per cent while Seven is up 11 per cent.

A boom in subscription TV since the publicity campaign for the digital box. On average, 113,000 more people have started watching pay TV in the past two years. In the same period, the free to air stations lost 3000 viewers. It's a tiny change, but it might be sounding a faint warning bell in a few commercial corridors.

Average number of viewers over the whole day
Segment .............. 2004 .......... 2006 ...... change
SBS .................... 56,000 ........ 73,000 ... +30%
ABC ................... 257,000 ...... 214,000 .... -17%
Ten ................... 354,000 ...... 327,000 ...... -8%
Seven ................ 376,000 ...... 433,000 ... +15%
Nine .................. 436,000 ...... 427,000 ...... -2%
All free to air ... 1,478,000 .... 1,475,000 ....... 0%
Pay TV .............. 247,000 ....... 360,000 ... +45%
Total TV .......... 1,776,000 .... 1,889,000 .... +6%
Men .................. 829,000 ....... 882,000 .... +6%
Women ............. 947,000 ..... 1,007,000 ... +6%
Age 0-17 ........... 301,000 ....... 286,044 ..... -5%
Age 18-39 ......... 512,000 ....... 535,000 .... +4.5%
Age 40 to 54 ...... 403,000 ....... 455,000 ... +13%
Age over 55 ....... 560,000 ....... 613,000 .... +9.5%
(OzTAM mainland capitals, first 25 weeks of the year)

David Dale is the author of Who We Are - A miscellany of the new Australia (Allen and Unwin). The Tribal Mind column is published every Tuesday in The Sydney Morning Herald. Past columns can be found here. For a discussion on this week's trends in television, click here.

COMMENTS

David, do you have any theories on what the ABC is doing wrong?
Why has it had such a huge slump?
After all - unlike the commercial channels, the ABC pretty much has the same programmes year in year out!
It doesn't make sense!
And, afterall, it is the best channel!!

Tribal Mind replies: Lets hear some theories from the readers.

  • by andy on July 02, 2006 at 10:41 PM

I wonder to what extent these results have been skewed by particularly successful programmes? SBS has had the world cup - 2 years ago, it wasn't on, and 4 years ago, Australia hadn't qualified. Furthermore, two of SBS's most popular programmes, Iron Chef and Mythbusters, were nowhere near as popular 2 years ago - though South Park was still a major player in their ratings then, and by all accounts it hasn't aged as well as the Simpsons. SBS has also enjoyed some success with Rockwiz, while the ABC's biggest rater week after week has been Spicks and Specks. It will be interesting to see how many additional people tune in to the West Wing when the ABC get past the episodes previously aired on Ch 9. I guess the point I'm making is that ratings demographics like these don't necessarily constitute trends (you need more than two data points for that, for a start) - and can't be viewed without taking into account the context of what was airing, successfully, at the time.
I think your point, David, about texting is an interesting one, and I wonder whether there would be a stronger correllation between these trends and adoption of texting - or of the internet.

Tribal Mind replies: And the Commonwealth Games pushed Nine's average audience way up.

  • by Mike Bourke on July 03, 2006 at 07:36 PM

andy i think u just answered your own question - after 347 years of the bill its a little stale!

  • by damien on July 03, 2006 at 08:05 PM

abc is good but in the morning it has things for yound kids. But nothing for older kids, but then it also has shows that apeal to older people. Much older

  • by claire on July 03, 2006 at 08:48 PM

I'm glad I'm such a trendsetter. When I was a kid I remember watching TV pretty much the entire time I was home. I'd get home from primary school at 3:30, switch on the TV, and then hhave it on until I had to go to bed. This lasted for a quite a while as well, probably until I was about 15 or 16, when the net and video games took up the rest of my time. Now at 21 I have completely given up watching television. Last year my viewing dwindled dramatically, down to At the Movies and the Glasshouse, and this year I have only watched an hour of television, both of the times because I was bored and someone was around watching it. The two shows were Big Brother and the Collectors, and I know I haven't missed anything.
It would seem that the same old shows are getting rehashed over and over again. On the commercial channels we have the choice between standard Australian melodrama (and I mean that in the strong sense of the word), American rehashing and good shows past their use-by date. Of the two I don't dismiss out of hand, most of the American shows come in waves, like the CSI-esque ones, and all of them get old quickly. Of the shows that are actually good (like the Sopranos), the commercial channels make sure no-one with taste watches them by having 4 week gaps in the middle of their programming, and putting them on at 11pm. Finally, I used to watch shows like the Simpsons, but I have given up because it's getting a little tired, but mostly because channel 10 can't seem to manage broadcasting new episodes every week, instead promising to, then repeating older ones.
So with that I went to the ABC and SBS, and they were great. I would always be watching their current affairs shows and documentaries, and they are still fantastic. It's a shame most of them are BBC, US or French imports, but they're good none the less. I quite enjoy their line up of Australian shows. Spicks and Specks, the Glasshouse, At the Movies and Grass Roots are all fantastic shows that I watched religiously. And the imports they get, like South Park, Drawn Together, The Bill (well, in the old days) and the BBC comedies were all great. But, with the exception of the cartoons they either are repeated too much (in the case of the BBC shows), or they come out too slowly between seasons (like Grass Roots). So even though they still have great shows, I just didn't stop what I was doing otherwise to make sure I could watch them.
Now I don't watch television at all, but I do watch about 5-10 movies a week (thank god for cheap DVD rentals and JB Hi-Fi), so now I can watch TV and avoid the brain drain by watching the greats.
But I do have a secret shame that I just don't find shameful. When I hear a show is on that I want to watch (like Pizza or Glasshouse or Sopranos), I don't watch it on TV, instead I download it and watch it on my computer. Now, I don't feel like I'm stealing because most of the shows I have don't come out on DVD, so it's no different to taping shows, and if they do (like the Sopranos) I buy them anyway. The idea of being tied down to a slot when I can watch shows just doesn't sit well with me. And adds drive me up the wall. I just cannot stand them. Unlike other people who "can't stand" adds, I literally switch off the TV and walk off when the first add break hits, and wait until I can download it.
So what can TV do to get viewers like me back? Well, not much. I do agree that there are a lot of TV shows that outshine movies these days. They're cleverer and have high calibre actors. Most get tired for me after a while, though, and only ones like The Sopranos keep me in. But more high calibre shows like this keep me entertained, it's just a shame that almost all are American.
Secondly, Australian shows on ABC are really, really good. There's just not enough of them. I blame this really on the government wringing the funds out of Aunty. I usually give all the new Aussie shows on ABC a go, drama or not. Shame they don't make more. But they keep up the BBC tilt, which is still good. But there's nothing we can do about that.
SBS have some of the best films on television, but either they or the ABC should really get into replaying old movies. I remember there was a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers marathon on ABC for a few weeks, where they'd play 4 or 5 of the movies a week. They should do that for Hitchcock, Wilder and Capra, and see people flocking back.
Better Australian shows would be great as well. But the commercial channels have built up a fan base that revels in melodrama. They aim for conservative types, both teens and adults. They do either these turgid outback dramas on 7 and 9, or these inofensive (besides fart jokes) teen comedies and skit shows on channel 10. So there's really no hope for quality Australian shows there. ABC is the last chance, and they don't have the money.
Besides that I think TV has lost its magic for me. I just think there's better forms of entertainment. Like movies 1/50 shows are worth watching. It's ok for movies because you can pick and choose at the video store, while on TV you're stuck with the set schedule of the week.
Shame I can't catch At The Movies every week. Oh well, I can just read the reviews on the net.

  • by Tony on July 03, 2006 at 09:16 PM

I'm extremely addicted to Television. I find myself watching TV for 5 hours each day on average and I'm 19 years old. I really want to break the habit to do other things in life.

  • by tiffany on July 03, 2006 at 10:40 PM

I seldom watch TV, but I do watch a lot of DVD's, maybe 3-4 a week.
I watched TV a lot as a kid but now I consider it all mindless pap. I will occasionally watch a SUn evening doco on Sharks/Crocodiles/Apes/Ancient civilisations... you get the idea.
I also try to make my kids evaluate the value of what they watch on TV and it does seem to work, my son likes watching shows like Myth Busters, Beyond 2000 etc which is cool and I regularly hear him telling his sister what she watches is trash and a waste of her time... Home & Away, All Saints etc... which I have to confess gives me a little smile.
This behave yourself how you would like your kids to actually works :-) If you sit an stare at the idiot box all do and become a mindless overweight moron expect your kids to follow your example.

  • by John Cole on July 03, 2006 at 11:21 PM

Tiffany, don't worry about it. David Dale's made a career out of watching television (lucky sod). That's not soemthing you can do with, say, heroin.
Otherwise take up soccer. I'm told that sex is also still quite popular.

  • by Peter on July 03, 2006 at 11:37 PM

TV is going down the tube. The only things worth watching are the pay TV sports channels (some of the time) and the odd news or doco show. US shows (24 aside) are dull and outdated.

  • by Bolts on July 04, 2006 at 01:29 AM

I watch far too much tv. But pretty much informative stuff. So there's the problem. Do I watch less, and be a more ignorant person? Or, use an alternative source of info - the internet! Screen to screen, no source in between. I make myself read for a set time a day and walk the dog and do gym. Like everyone I'm busy and have to function in this modern world so tv provides a quick fix for amusement and updates.

Tribal Mind replies: There is nothing wrong with watching TV.

  • by mal on July 04, 2006 at 04:37 AM

Interesting. SBS's audience is up 30% over two years ago yet their management insist they need to start screening ads during the programs to make money. Surely they can justify increasing their rates under the existing regime given their increased audience numbers and younger demographic?

  • by David S. on July 04, 2006 at 08:51 AM

I very much doubt that children are watching less tv because they are outside doing physical activities or reading. It's because they are on the internet or playing computer games

  • by Michelle on July 04, 2006 at 09:05 AM

Have two teens in my house. They watch little TV. We watch some but never nine or seven. Teens not interested in Crime or Doctors they may watch Neighbours but have tuned out recently. There is no "have to watch "show for them as we had eg countdown. They are wired to the world and access what they want when they want it.

  • by Khay on July 04, 2006 at 09:42 AM

If Aussie kids are watching less telly then why are they all so fat?

  • by WD on July 04, 2006 at 09:42 AM

With reference to Bolts' comment... 24 not dull and dated?? C'mon mate! Me thinks five seasons of "protocol" and "You have to trust me this time " is more than one can digest!

  • by Where's Jack on July 04, 2006 at 09:57 AM

Why does a higher audience automatically mean that SBS shouldn't change anything?
Ad are about revenue, the SBS management are aware the government is slowly reoving revenue and they want to secure their funding and determine their own destiny. If anything a higher audience makes the commercial opportunities more realistic and tempting.

  • by chris on July 04, 2006 at 10:14 AM

WD Australian kids are 'all' so fat because parents won't let them go outside and play anymore. We are all so protective of our little darlings that we keep them at home where they veg out playing computer games all day and there only friends way of communicating is via the internet...
Sad really!!!

  • by adam on July 04, 2006 at 10:24 AM

David,
The ABC is doing a few things wrong:
Bring Back Monkey Magic at 4.30pm, followed by the Goodies, then Kenny Everit's Video Show. Maybe some Astroboy before the news, the Young Ones at 8pm then Doctor Who.
Oh its not the 80's, woops.

  • by Daytona on July 04, 2006 at 11:23 AM

My Dad is a boomer and he watches tv all the time.
I don't have time in between working fulltime and trying to keep fit, and have a social life.
I have to tape BB so i can watch it later on when I get home. waaa!

  • by Sadie on July 04, 2006 at 11:47 AM

although full credit to channel 7, they did have a pretty disaterous 2004, with not much ratings wise besides the olympics

  • by kane on July 04, 2006 at 12:01 PM

Just get rid of that friggin watermark and I'll start watching again. Why would I watch a distracting permanent dust spot when DVD's are clean? Almost 12 months now without TV and I stopped missing it a long time ago... roll on internet TV...

  • by FTA Killer on July 04, 2006 at 12:05 PM

What the? You're a senior at 55 these days are you? Amazing! I always thought 'senior' referred to folks of 60 and up, but apparently these days you only have to be 50 to register as "old".
I'm 42, and I resent once again being lumped in with the 'baby boomers'. I am not, nor have I ever been, a 'boomer'.
I am Gen X, and very proud of it thanks! My generation is the one which debunked Disco in favour of Punk, and largely drove the Grunge music revolution (the audiences might be younger, but the artists were my age). When Mr Rotten sang our theme song, "No Future", little did he know how apt it would become.
Apparently, I was not only "invisible" when the term Gen X was invented, I am still invisible, or shunted in with the 'boomers', people with whom I have absolutely nothing in common.
Gen Xers still go out to see bands, we still collect CDs of NEW music, not just re-runs of the '70s and 80's. We have no house because we can't afford one. Many of us have never had kids or got married. We have saved little because we suspect the government would take it anyway, we still distrust most forms of bureaucracy as a matter of principle, we are interested and concerned about the environment and human rights more than about interest rates and stock reports.
So who was it who arbitrarily decided to change the goal posts on Gen X, and push us into the boomer category? Because I for one find it really, really offensive!
Back off boomers, I'm Gen X and I always will be, you know why? Because for my whole life, I've been utterly, totally ignored. And here it is again. Thanks so much. Really appreciate it. Nothing quite like feeling invisible.

  • by Mo on July 04, 2006 at 12:12 PM

Is this shift merely indicative of younger people surplanting one sedentary activity for another? ie. internet. And their parents just haven't caught up yet.

  • by Pablo on July 04, 2006 at 12:20 PM

this isnt a very good guide to the activities of kids. They have replaced tv with computers, computer games, PSP's mobile phones, ipods etc, etc, etc. Just because traitional TV veiwing is down dosnt mean active recreation is up

  • by tv guy on July 04, 2006 at 12:35 PM

What is with all Aussie kids being fat, out of my year in high school, there were maybe 3 overweight kids, and I didn;t have a small year.
I don't watch tv, just watch my favourite show once a week and a dvd once every 2/3 weeks. Then again I waste all my time on smh and reading smh blogs....

  • by chicken girl on July 04, 2006 at 12:56 PM

As the saying goes 'there are lies, damn lies and statistics. Three days worth of 2.0 million viewers can make a remarkable change over a year for a station that only has a 56000 a day average.
As for the changing patterns of tv viewership in general you can't discount the effects of tv shows that are available on DVD on download on habitual tv viewers. As a self confessed tv junkie often the only shows I watch on tv these days are news or docos. I get my episodic television fix from other sources.
Also on the declining ABC figures for kids and the over 55's, it comes down to the ABC either not producing enough good tv any more or not sourcing it from elsewhere. It has been a long time since ABC afternoons were required TV viewing for a teenager. In the 80's and early 90's I remember the ABC afternoons being full of great television: Degrassi, Press Gang, and Heartbreak High to name a few. Ditto for the great nightime shows such as Phoenix, Wildside, Corelli and Seachange.

  • by shaygb on July 04, 2006 at 01:29 PM

I agree with the first post. I have always been an avid viewer of ABC programs but since the introduction of the commercial TV style watermark on the ABC my free to air TV watching has become virtually non existent thanks to that annoying little BUG. I now wait for any interesting programs to come out on DVD or source them elsewhere without the on screen network "bling".

  • by Kaycee on July 04, 2006 at 01:41 PM

Outrage, parents of Australia, we are failing. Allowing our children less time in front of TV. In the good old days we could stretches of TV for up to 6, 7 and 8 hours. Were is the staying power of todays youth. Gone, playing with their gameboys, play stations and computer games. We parents must sit on our lounges and demand family time with the kids watching classic TV like Big Brother, Home and away, Neighbours and Bert's whatever. Actually i think i just answered the question. Why no-one watching. TV land is just crap, were are today's Get Smart, Brady Bunch, Gilligans Island etc that we used to watch. Better still i just take the dog out for its walk again.

  • by Garry S on July 04, 2006 at 02:07 PM

My theories:
1. SBS's ratings have gone up because they now have commercials and therefore have to be treated equitably by the ratings companies in their choice of the type of viewer gets a set-top box.
2. Ratings companies don't include people who watch free-to-air TV via their computer in their profile. That would leave out a lot of young people (especially students) who have only a computer with a TV card and not a computer and a TV in their homes.
3. SBS has made some excellent choices in the shows they've bought. Top Gear must be one of the most watched shows in Australia (judging by the number of people I hear discussing when it will be back on). Mythbusters is a huge hit because they don't take themselves seriously but they do treat their audience as intelligent (a failing of many "talk down to the audience" 7, 9 and 10 programmes). Iron Chef is a cult classic with just enough kitsch to guarantee a regular audience. And then there's South Park... irreplaceable.
4. SBS has shown the other stations how large sporting events should be broadcast and gets the viewers coming back for more - The Ashes (which must have got SBS a huge return audience for sports), The Tour de France, the World Cup, etc.
And the evening SBS sports show covers sports that the other stations ignore, and does it intelligently.

  • by Kaz on July 04, 2006 at 02:09 PM

why are you guys so favourng towards male comments, and against female? I write here often, and just as often get ignored. Is my opinion so unpopular? perhaps the mediator could respond. Are my posts just too long? why do you always ignore me??

Tribal Mind replies: I am only the "mediator" for comments addressed to Tribal Mind column, and I approve everything that is not defamatory. I can't speak for other blogs. As far as I can tell, all these comments from you have been publlished:
What the? You're a senior...
I wonder why you have thi...
I would probably buy Fair...
Well, I can't guess any o...
It sounds horrible!!!!!!!...
I thought the show was ra...
Perhaps Johnny Rotten was...

  • by Mo on July 04, 2006 at 02:20 PM

Baby boomers are watching more TV because it (and newspapers) are the last media platform where they are still the gatekeepers of what gets shown and what doesn't. On the net it's a free-for-all where Gen X down can say what they like, to a huge global audience and no one can stop them.
While the baby boomers sit in front of the box which tells them how scary the world outside is (terrorists, global epidemics, asylum seekers etc.) I'm hoping 17 year olds are reading and watching what other 17 year olds are up to and realising there ain't nothing to be afraid of.

  • by rabid mc on July 04, 2006 at 02:25 PM

I think the ABC is struggling on several fronts:
1) Talent drain - the moment anything gets popular, the commies buy it up (Good news week, DGen.. prolly some others too)
2)Image issue A - ABC is not cool. For the mindless mass which comprises the bread and butter TV audience, maintaining their image of banal medicority is paramount, and ABC is too uncool to even be watched alone. I know people who skip over the ABC and SBS without stopping because they arent 'real tv channels' go figues (yes young girls predominantly)
3) Image problem B - The ABC is viewed as left biased, and since another major part of the mindless droning masses who watch tv are obsessed with maintaining their obedient, party line, right wing anti-union image, they are unwilling to watch ABC lest the illuminati two-way-screen inform the Nazis who will use their influence with the Liberal party who will tell their employer group masters that MR so and so has been watching leftist tv and cannot be trusted, thus ruining mr so and so's career.
4) politics and infighting at the ABC leading to dubious decisions, as the management at the abc succumb to issue 3 and many of the young creatives succumb to issue 2
5) politics and infighting in the arts community in general, masking talent behind banal ersatz commercial offerings
6)did I mention its not cool to watch the ABC.
Ok so solutions..well these are all tough problems, I mean the ABC could try to up its cool points by offereing some mindless sex and violence.. problem is to appease issues 1,2,3 it would have to be american mindless sex and violence...

  • by ybleader on July 04, 2006 at 02:40 PM

I find it really hard to equate that 113,000 people turned to pay TV, and yet the FTA stations say they only lost 3,000 viewers. What about the other 110,000 who greatly reduced their FTA consumption? I don't see the commercial stations dropping their advertising rates to allow for the reduction.

  • by AyDee on July 04, 2006 at 03:21 PM

On the ABC:
1) need to get rid of the promos - symptomatic of just following the other networks. To the ABC: they've got no lessons for you!

  • by simon on July 04, 2006 at 03:44 PM

There's two things wrong with free to air TV these days:
- The shows are bad
(as my grandmother predicted would happen years ago when pay tv first came out in Aust)
- The ads are bad
(someone please tell singleton or whoever calls the shots that nearly everyone hates tv ads these days! there's a theory in marketing that stupid ads are less threatening and more effective but most people i know say that they tune out and take no notice of the product or service being advertised. they should take a leaf out of America's book where ads are genuinely funny and informative)

  • by Andrew on July 04, 2006 at 05:47 PM

i can't comment on the commercial channels, as i rarely watch them. sbs is good, but the incursion of commercials into the programs (rather than after/before) will drive me from there. as for the abc, well.. welcome to dummyville. the news is a sad joke, with its fawning to so-called "celebrities" (who really gives a flying #@$% about movie stars?) and as for that patronising are-you-meatheads-paying-attention "and just capping tonight's top story..." 12 minutes after they read it!!! and if that's not enough, they're also in a lather over one of their leading reporters who has written a book about ANOTHER MEDIA IDENTITY! almost as brainless as the smh's page one about big brother today. you would think the last people to fall into the trap of pr stunts would be other media outlets, but oh noooooo. and just when we thought we'd heard more than enough about a mob of overpaid vain-glorious mirror lickers at nine. you guys make american tv look like intellectual brilliance. happy independence day.

  • by Feeelthy Pierre on July 04, 2006 at 07:04 PM

Hi (original poster, here!)
Simon - the ABC has had promos for years - and ony has two minutes of promos between shows. They need them, to let people know what is coming up, and also to let people get up between shows!
Andrew - if 'the ads are bad' on TV, then watch the ABC - there are NO ads!
ybleader - I agree with you, there are some REALLY ignorant people out there (mainly teenage girls) who regard the ABC as a joke, and not worth watching.
A comment I heard on a tv forum recently from a teen on why they didn't like the ABC was 'they show barely any American shows'
!!!

  • by andy on July 05, 2006 at 10:19 AM

To the question, the problem with the ABC and its fall of 17%. As a viewer who watches a majority of ABC over other choices (7 would be second). The problems are 1.) Thursday night - get rid of West Wing. No one watches, no one cares. Off load it to Pay-TV 2.) The Bill has had it, time to go or reduce it to once a week. 3.) Poor choice of programmes on Saturday 7.30 this year - this timeslot was big winner for ABC over the years. This may change now Dr Who is back this week. 4.) Sunday 7.30, this time slot has been like a bride's nightie. Up and down, some really good shows like Peking to Paris and some complete shockers. Get a good show in their for the long run, as many people look to avoid the wasteland on other channels at this time. 5.) get some sport content. Bring back The Fat or a Friday night late show like Live and Sweaty did years ago. Slot it in around 10.45 after the footy, it would rate well.

  • by Garry S on July 05, 2006 at 12:34 PM

i just can't wait until around 40 yrs from now, when all the 40+ yr old people are either dead or too old to matter.
i know it sounds harsh, but this world needs to start advancing at a greater rate now, and the only thing stopping that is the primitive, conservative mindset of those people and their outdated opinions.
it's a little off topic i know, but old people watching more tv, younger less.. and the big brother fiasco (talk about making something out of nothing!) made me think of it =)

  • by Javi on July 05, 2006 at 06:02 PM

MAN, apparently I have heaps of issues tonight.
Television is my thing and i can honestly say that the quality of programming and programme my television set sends me these days is quite poor and thoroughly disappointing.
Regarding SBS - I remain offended that a publically funded body like the Special Broadcasting Service is not required to broadcast nationally (like the ABC). For example, at the moment I live in a town on a major highway where two hundred k's in either direction would give me access - thanks for the love SBS. Previously I have loved such series as Iron Chef and South Park as well as their general news and current affairs coverage (I mourn their loss daily).
Seven - I LOATHE seven. So the idea that i am only able to get signal between 12 and 5am doesnt really disturb me. Still, i think a demographer would be interested in the manner in which consumers have flocked to seven given their lack of intelligent commentary and that their stable includes ambulance chasers people who, presumably dumb themselves down (lord knows I would be embarassed if half of their female stable members are as stupid as they portray themselves). All of this without even mentioning that it's only drama is an ageing All Saints and they seem thoroughly unable to develop decent childrens and young adult television (after all, their ratings in these areas come directly from the US for the most part)!!!
Ten - I LOVE channel ten. Well, mostly. I have to say that they did the right thing when it came to Big Brother and GOOD ON TEN FOR STANDING BY A TELEVISION PROGRAMME WHICH RATES WELL WITH A YOUNG ADULT AUDIENCE (it shouldnt surprise anyone to realise that this audience group are generally ignored by other networks, unless they happen to stumble on a programme by mistake). I am incredibly disappointed that my Channel Ten comes from Imparja which doesnt seem to be able to make up it's mind about whether it is closer to network ten or the nine network (in the last two years they have altered their primary news source, for example, about six times)!!!
Nine - personally, I think Nine would be better off repositioning it's news and current affairs and developing their digital two network to attempt to win back all of their lost ratings with new and improved stuff ... for example. I am disappointed to see that with the passing of KP, PBL have forced Eddy Maguire to presumably become the least liked CEO in history with massive axings likely to greatly disrupt continuity and flow. I am, however, extremely pleased to hear that Sunday will be staying - I say that, because Sunday at least likes to think it's audience is somewhat accustomed to reasonably intelligent conversation.
Finally, on the Nine front, while I am certain they are sick of being considered to be 'embattled', perhaps they could consider treating their audience with a little intelligence and try producing something that works. I cannot believe that Nine consider Hello Goodbye to be quality Australian programming where the idea has, at best, been taken from Love Actually and does nothing but demonstrate that intrusion into people's lives is something which interests others. Clearly this example is a case of Rebecca Harris aint done much for a while, but she's still on the books, so get her to do something. Was the extent of research undertaken transitting through Sydney Airport or some actual thought put into it?
Finally, the ABC. I do love Aunty. Unfortunately, like SBS, I dont seem to be able to get reception. Unlike SBS, apparently the signal for it is much stronger than that of Imparja ... funny that I can get Imparja strongly and not ABC. So, I cannot comment on much. Except to say that the thing I loved when I was younger was the eclectic mix of programming including Australian, British, Canadian and on the rare occasion American and New Zealander. Also, the mix of genre, from manga type cartoon (eg Astro Boy) through to not so manga type cartoon (eg The Wizard of Oz) ... perhaps the ABC needs to consider the viability of market testing. Additionally, over all, I find their news and current affairs second to none, inspite of their bending to commercial styles. If I could only watch it, it would be my ABC.
Those thinking that the ABC is ad free should not be too complacent. With SBS commencing their in programme advertising
Television should be an enjoyable recreation activity. I dont think commercial or non-commercial networks are actually thinking a great deal about what the community would actually LIKE to watch.

  • by kate on July 05, 2006 at 11:15 PM

What is the growth in broadband internet users (equates to internet downloads)?
I bet it vastly exceeds the growth of any TV station.

  • by canoli on July 06, 2006 at 12:13 PM

Iam a baby boomer watching more tv but watching it better on a large screen with more recording & ad removal.The tv experience now can be more rewarding due to the PVR.Plus the ability to download & get a tv series on Dvd.Without the ability to remove ads i would watch less.The Networks with 20 mins of ads per hour have gone too far.That spoils the continuity of shows & drives me away.

  • by danny on July 06, 2006 at 01:00 PM

LOL I'm a baby boomer, the sum total of my weekly TV viewing is Friday: Rugby League, Silent Witness
Saturday: Naught
Sunday: Naught
Monday: Naught
Tuesday: Simpsons new series only
Wednesday: House
Thursday: Smallville, The West Wing and if I didnt have the Stargate SG-1 Season 9 DVD's I'd watch it, the rest is unmitigated crap. Whats that 6.5 hours.
And I get really pi**es me off when the morons who run polls, including AusTam, try to tell me what my age group is watching
I guess the telly stations and their advertisers are gittin' sod all ad bucks from me.
The AusTam ratings dont work, nor does trying to second guess what grandparents and old folks are watching. Want to know what folks are watchin' ask them all
Aussie TV is a sad place these days

  • by gasbo on July 06, 2006 at 04:50 PM

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