Total People slipping from view
Seven is now the only network still giving media the full picture on Total People numbers in their daily emails.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
There’s already some subtle shifts going on behind the scenes with networks in the pursuit of positive ratings stories in the media.
Seven is now the only commercial network to send out ratings data to journalists with the daily overnight rankings in Total People.
Both Nine and TEN send data that favours their preferred demographics and ignores Total People.
Last year TEN was sending daily rankings with Total People, 25-54, 18-49 and 16-39 plus digital channels.
This year it is only sending 16-39, 18-49 and digital channels. Could that be because they had such dire numbers late last year?
A TEN spokesperson told TV Tonight the network’s focus is “absolutely on the 18 to 49s demo, as well as the under 50s in general.”
Nine’s data covers three demos and Total People in % shares. But it only ranks titles in the 25-54 demos.
It has been this way for some time.
Both networks are now avoiding a Total number for their shows in their daily ratings reports to media.
12 Responses
But don’t you get your data including demos and total people from OzTAM?
@ Russell “@randwick – no, not generally. Advertisers focus heavily on under 55s”.
Except during daytime with those bloody annoying, depressing grey nomads flogging funeral insurance – more than one in every break. (PS I’m well over 55)
“10 years ago about 95% of viewing was ABC1, Seven, Nine, Ten, SBS1Now it’s about 55% for those “big 5″
Of course. Now there are 3 times more FTA channels for the same number of eyes. The blowout in ad time per hour by the “big 5” is another big turn off. A prog running 41 mins is stretched to run 62 mins. 21 mins (33% of the hour) of ads & annoying, repetitive promos.
@randwick – no, not generally. Advertisers focus heavily on under 55s.
You point might be right, but it’s not the TV networks you need to convince of this – it’s the advertising industry. They are the ones who decide how all this works.
@PJs Ronin – Australians are watching more TV than ever. But they are watching less “Live TV” , less FTA TV and less of the 5 main FTA networks.
10 years ago about 95% of viewing was ABC1, Seven, Nine, Ten, SBS1
Now it’s about 55% for those “big 5”
While were not there yet, while the US notes total people in their official ratings, the 24-54 Demo rating is how they rank their top rating shows (Go check the sidebar on thehollywoodreporter.com site as an example) and it seems as though we may be moving in that direction
The networks can put out what ever they what. That is not the problem.
In the US there are less restrictions on the media can publish. So you can see what is really happening, and what programmers are looking at and making decision on. You get analysis like this.
tinyurl.com/aqe8qup
Here due to the Oztam publishing restrictions all you get are Top 20 and Top 5 lists and share for the entire evening.
@User, now we know why Ten isn’t performing very well.
Don’t people over 55 count? after all they are the one’s who are the most computer illiterate and most likely to use television as their prefered medium?
The networks seem to have forgotten we are an aging population …… especially ten ……..
Maybe if Ten started targetting the over 50’s we would finally see some good shows on there.
Does anyone compare total viewers now to, say, 10 years ago adjusted for population growth?
Someone should tell Ten 18-49 & ‘under 50s in general’ is basically the same thing….
Don’t networks publicise what paints them in the best light? It suits seven to include Total People and its suits nine and ten to omit them? I’m fairly certain if nine or ten suddenly started regularly winning total people they would magically re-appear. Or am I being to cynical?