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NRL Footy Show slipping

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Nine’s NRL Footy Show has seen its Sydney ratings drop in the last six weeks, with the show struggling to top ABC1’s political debate program Q&A.

While producers are at a loss to explain the sudden desertion, the show’s founding executive producer believes the similar opinions of panel members Paul Vautin, Matthew Johns, Paul Harragon and Laurie Daley was turning the show “a little beige”.

“They’re very careful what they say about players and I understand why, but I don’t think that necessarily helps out television,” Gary Burns – now Nine’s Event TV executive producer told news.com.au.

“That creates a lack of tension, but the commentators are paid to commentate and I think they should air their differences of opinion. But if they all have the same opinion, then it’s something we suffer from because then it gets a little beige.”

The show also attracted some criticism for comments about a disabled security guard, which drew an apology from Nine and Paul ‘Fatty’ Vautin.

Meanwhile Nine’s Friday night NRL coverage was beaten by all but SBS programs in Sydney last week.

The downturn is in stark contrast to State of Origin series, 2008 figures are the highest-rating ever.

The Footy Show’s Sydney audience fell to 186,000 viewers after Origin game three, a record low beaten last week when the audience plummeted to 166,000.

In March it had an average of 271,000 viewers.

Source: news.com.au

8 Responses

  1. In relation to footy show airing on the 18th April. I was born and bread in SA and yes this is an AFL town but I love the hard tough game league is. But as far as the comments in relation to It being a waste of time coming to Adelaide why dont you oneyed Queenslanders pull your head out of your a** and think before you speak. I lived in Queensland for 3yrs in Gladstone for work and travelled the whole coast from coolangatta to Townsville. Most of the local town people we meet hadnt even been out the state in there lives. So truth is how would you know what happens down here anyway you should look in your own backyard first before you start judging others.In the end we had to move back because after that amount of time living there I grew to dislike queenslanders even more than we grew to love the game. Oh what a shame!

    Signed

  3. Who is the blonde old shiela ln the middle, fair dinkum, she must be related to an excecutive. Useless does zero for the show get rid of her. Percy la blonk , funny as anything good stuff. What happened to the chief is he a victim of the recession? Chief is good get him back. Keep going fat the numbers will go up. But get rid of the blonde.. Wes prentice footy show fan

  4. I’m with dr_rudi… perhaps the viewing public are sick of the same old programming.

    It is interesting that the Friday night figures are dropping so much. Is NRL really that boring to watch? Do we need another Super League sideshow to pique some interest?

  5. Rebecca Wilson didnt have a clue about Rugby League. She’s nothing more than a glorified gossip columnist who writes about sport.

    Look what she writes in the Sunday Telegraph!!! All its about is gossip and scandel.

    She has been ridding on the coat tails of Tony Squires for years and she has managed to drag him down slowly but surely

    The show is not about hard hitting rugby league news. Its about boys mucking around. Yes it has got a little old but at least its not another CSI/Ramsey/Reality offering from Eddie.

    Hey theres an idea CSI Ramsey!

  6. David,

    The same continues to be true for the AFL Footy Show. Maybe, just maybe, the ratings reflect that the population has had enough of this sort of program, along with Big Brother.

  7. What do they expect? They won’t let anyone with a different opinion to theirs near the show. Look what happened to Rebecca Wilson, they froze her out of their little boys’ club. The show is way past its prime.

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