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TV Tonight turns 3!

Tuesday marks the third birthday of this website. Happy Birthday to all and thankyou for your continued support.

Happy-3rd-BirthdayToday this site notches up its third birthday.

In 2007 when I first started this blog it was to complement the TV commentary I was already doing in various forms on radio, print and online. At the time Australian television sites on the internet were largely confined to messageboards, Guides and fansites. When the site launched there were a handful of visitors who welcomed the news, the updates and answers to TV questions.

Three years on the site has published over 9,700 stories and now pulls in up to one million hits a month around the country. The TV Tonight brand has become widely recognised in the industry and whilst it is still very much a personal blog, I am often reminded by others of how it champions the viewing audience.

Significantly, your comments are noted by the highest powers.

As an independent source of news and information the blog is frequently consulted by media. In the last year stories, quotes and information have appeared in The Herald Sun, The Daily Telegraph, The Australian, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Sunday Herald Sun, The Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Tasmanian, MediaWeek, ABC, 3AW, 2UE, Sky Business, and more. Stories broken last year included GO! as Nine’s new channel, Hayley Lewis to host The Biggest Loser, Hey Hey‘s midweek specials, Hungry Beast title change, Ashes to Ashes to end, Cops LAC, the “news-based” format of The 7PM Project, Shaun Micallef’s New Year’s Rave, the end of The Fugly Awards and more.

Last year’s extensive Audience Inventory survey was widely reported in mainstream press and picked up in the UK.

In October there were back to back interviews with executives from all five networks: Kim Dalton, Tim Worner, David Mott, Michael Healy and Matt Campbell.

Other interviews in 2009 included leading Aussie & international actors, writers, producers and personalities including Adam Hills, Amanda Keller, Andrew Denton, Adam Zwar, Andrew O’Keefe, Ashley Pharoah, Bernard Curry, Bill Collins, Brian Nankervis, Cariba Heine, Carla Bonner, Catherine McClements, Chelsea Handler, Colin Morgan, Craig Campbell, Daniel Nettheim, David Field, Dustin Clare, Ed Kavalee, Eve Myles, Fiona Spence, Gary Mehigan, George Negus, Henry Roth, Ian Smith, James Morrison, Jan Russ, Jane Lynch, Jason Stephens, Jenny Brockie, Jess McNamee, Joel McHale, John Blackman, Johnny Capps, Jon Olb, John Safran, Jonathan Holmes, Judith McGrath, Julian Morrow, Julie McCrossin, Justine Clarke, Justine Schofield, Kat Stewart, Kelly Lefever, Kristian Schmid, Lawrence Leung, Les Sampson, Madeleine West, Marena Manzoufas, Margaret Pomeranz, Mark Bouris, Matt Day, Matt Lee, Matt Passmore, Matt Preston, Merrick Watts, Michael Cordell, Michael Harvey, Mick Molloy, Mikey Robbins, Molly Meldrum, Nadine Garner, Pam Anne, Paul McCarthy, Paul Robinson, Peter Ford, Peter Hitchener, Peter Moon, Peter O’Brien, Peter Phelps, Peter Rowsthorn, Poh Ling Yeow, Rob Carlton, Robyn Butler, Robyn Parkes, Rodger Corser, Rodger Monk, Rove McManus, Russell T. Davies, Ryan Moloney, Shane Bourne, Shelley Craft, Steve Knapman, Tabatha Coffey, Talia, Tim Campbell, Tom Steinfort, Toni Collette, Tony Ayres, Tony Tilse.

In the recent TV Tonight Awards readers delivered a whopping 87% vote for Excellent (57%) and Very Good (30%) in the question on site satisfaction -just 1% voted Disappointing. 72% of readers visit the site daily or more than once a day. The flood of compliments by readers was truly humbling (some even thanked the TV Tonight “team!”). Your continued support and site interaction is invaluable. Thankyou.

While there are some may be some who no longer love television, I still find myself delighted, outraged, informed, entertained, sceptical and surprised. And occasionally as mad as hell.

There are new features planned for 2010. Watch this space.

David.

98 Responses

  1. As an avid TV and pop culture fan, I love this site, especially with keeping us up to date on tv programme changes and cuts. So thanks so much!
    One of the most devastating tv cuts for me this year was that Ch7 summer English programme – Who is coming for dinner? (I think that was the name) – used to be on at 5pm Weekdays on Ch 7 – only ran a week. I loved that show – it was so nice to see ‘normal’ people on tv and the voiceover was so funny. Oh well. I’ll get over it. Although I am loving all the cooking shows on 7TWO.

  2. I know I’m a bit late but that you sick much for this site, I check it ever day, and please keep the same ‘clean’ look and style of your site and its very good that ever thing is keeped under news….. Paytv….. Etc, its good to see your name getting picked up by the mainstream media in this country like on news.com.au website the other day talking about network 10 and there summer ratings and also sky news business channel with the go thing last year, and overall thank you for getting us the latest programming changes and news everyday what ever time it is

  3. I too would to congratulate you David on the monumental effort that you have put into this site and achieving this wonderful milestone. I discovered this site July 2007 and I have read every word since. I am very glad I have been able to see this site to turn into what it has become. Here is to many many, more years to come.

  4. Happy Birthday TV Tonight!!
    And thanks again David. I remember stumbling across this site when I was trying (in vain for the most part!) to find the ratings on one of the new Doctor Who episodes years ago.
    I just wanted to see if it was doing any good. The only site I could find with Australian ratings was this one. Now it’s the only site I go to (and recommend) to get news about anything Aus TV. (I even got a guy from NZ who hates australian TV to read this site!!

    Thanks again David, your hard work does not go un-noticed!!

  5. Congratulations and Happy Birthday! It’s always a pleasure to click on and read the work of someone who is so passionate about the medium. Incidentally, did you know the traditional third anniversary gift is “leather?” Treat yourself to something special! 🙂

  6. Congratulations David. TVTonight is fantastic and is the only site I need when it comes to Australian TV. Also, just quietly, Google Chrome lists it as my most visited blog. So keep up the great work!

  7. Happy Birthday TV Tonight. Congrats David on an awesome website. I remember the old layout and I am amazed at how much this site has grown. You have found yourself a loyal viewer.

  8. Congratulations, can’t believe it has only been 3 years, I remember searching for australian tv news and since finding this site it has provided everything I have looked for. It is possibly my most often checked site.

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