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Q+A ratings “disappointing,” Twitter feed being reconsidered

ABC boss isn't a fan of Q+A Twitter feed and acknowledges low ratings saying "I'm not going to gild the lily on that."

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ABC managing director David Anderson has described Q+A‘s ratings as “disappointing” on Thursday nights, saying it needs to improve when it returns to Mondays.

He also told a Senate Estimates hearing yesterday that the show’s Twitter feed detracts from the discussion and is being looked at by ABC at the moment.

“I think that we’re always looking to make the program as best as it can be,” he said yesterday. “I think certainly of recent times, what we are doing with regard to involving the audience more and those participants more, I think is important. Personally, I think the Twitter feed detracts from that. But that’s just my opinion, and something that we’re looking at, at the moment.”

The broadcaster recently announced a return to Mondays in 2023.

Quizzed over the show’s low ratings, Anderson said, “I think the move to Thursday night didn’t help it. I think that when it was on a Monday night that was more important. The move to Thursday means it’s not sitting there as an agenda-setting discussion at the head of the week. We’re going to move back to Monday.”

Anderson also agreed with suggestions for more rural broadcasts but he declined to engage with suggestions that ‘Ultimo topics’ were out of touch with Australian viewers.

“Senator, I’m not going to provide commentary over lines of questioning of where it’s been, but there’s no doubt that the audience performance has been disappointing I’m not going to gild the lily on that and it needs to improve. But I think we’re looking at ways to improve it at the moment.”

  • Tagged with Q+A

16 Responses

  1. The Twitter feed is the best part and not just because mine have been featured several times there are very important and witty things said by the public who haven’t been able to get to read or broadcast a question. It certainly does not detract – because guess what you don’t have to read them! They are complimentary along with the discussions going on. I actually will be less willing to watch it without the Twitter feed. Or whatever feed it comes from. But there should be visible comments.

  2. I’ve always found the Twitter feed distracting, and by measure of time, the comments rarely align with what is being discussed at the time they are put up. I understand that, but they do seem to display the same group of posters and sometimes more than one tweet or comment from the same person during an ep. The fact I notice that, tells me it is is distracting and not terribly representative of the viewers out there.

    The special themed shows are often better as the mix is more eclectic and the lack of pollies means the discourse is broader than just the usual sniping of left and right. It is curious that the head honcho makes mention of the Twitter feed being a problem. I will continue to support Q&A as i have since Day 1, but it is an inconsistently performing show and one that really needs to settle and find a new groove.

  3. Elon Musk purchases Twitter, now all of a sudden Twitter feeds is why the show is rating poorly? I think this announcement in itself shows the real reason Q&A is tanking. Bias and poor hosts since Tony Jones left.
    Q&A was essential viewing once upon a time then it became a left wing echo chamber. My remote did then decided it would do the talking.

  4. Unfortunately Mr Grant is becoming overexposed like a lot of TV hosts, as an example this happened with Johanna Griggs on Seven. He is rude, cuts people off midway before they finish and interrupts. As for Twitter it is distracting, (maybe Musk might have more plans for that gem too) the whole show needs a refresh and more diverse discussions not just politics that way it might pick up again.

  5. If the permanent host remains as Stan Grant, the show is unwatchable for me. He is constantly interjecting and interrupting the flow when a question is asked and when the guests try and answer. This defeats the purpose of the concept which is meant to be ‘Q&A’ i.e., audience members ask questions and guests answer them. He needs to sit back and host and let some of the banter flow freely, rather than constantly jumping in with his voice.

  6. The Twitter feed on Q+A had always detracted from the program since its inception. The only difference now is that Elon is in charge of Twitter, and that might not sit well with their target audience. Such a decision would only reaffirm Ultimo and inner-city Sydney centrism.

    Then there is the audience vetting which is based on honesty and is unverified. The audience reactions don’t seem to match the percentages.

    It’s a far cry from the first season with Tony Jones.

  7. Personally I think they should put Q+A into hiatus and refresh it

    Go back to proper panel desk
    Better host
    Broader mix of guests ensuring conservative voices are heard equally to views that are opposite

    Put it back to mondays or Tuesdays

  8. I did not like Twitter…it was distracting……I do like Stan Grant….I think he wrangles guests well and with dignity…I do think Monday, should never have been moved.

  9. Part 2

    My suggestions:

    1. Do away with politicians and bring in subject experts with a brief to taking a achievable problem solving approach to the issue at hand. No wishy washy blue sky dreaming statements about what should be done, but real practicable and immediate things that can be done to address the issue.

    2. If you are to have politicians, then deploy technology to push back on the statements they have made. Have instant facts available that can be pulled up at a moments notice, after all you know what 90% are going to say in advance, so you can prepare for their answers.

    3. I question having a journalist as the host. You need a quick thinking inquisitor in the style of Geoffrey Robinson, who can spot the weakness / fault in the argument and probe and push back as to what they mean and, will it apply in different circumstances and how will it actually work, is it lawful, will it cost a lot of money, will it invade personal freedoms etc.

  10. The twitter feed should be on Twitter, but they won’t do that because this way it is the ABC can create what ever tweets it wants though moderation of the typing monkeys. Q+A was already rating poorly at 9:40pm Monday. Nothing is going to rate better on Thursday than Monday, even if it’s an hour earlier but moving it allowed the ABC to extend it’s political coverage to all night, four nights a week. Q+A was only interesting when they had intelligent people with something to say who could disagree civilly. This was extremely rare and usually only happened on the episodes without politicians, and without an audience of political groupies there to watch them. Most of the time it was one big exercise in Group Think, when it didn’t descend into pantomime.

  11. Q&A and Twitter are inextricably linked. Fighting this will only destroy a fading show.

    From my point of view, Twitter or not, the show too often gives voice to the worst people in society, and life is tough enough right now without spending an evening with them.

  12. The host is the problem. Rude and disdainful with his bias towards certain politicians always on show.
    He has taken over the questioning and turned it into the Stan Grant show. I can no longer watch it and it used to be a favourite show for me.
    Twitter has absolutely nothing to do with its failure, in fact, sometimes it was the only entertaining part of the show.

  13. I have only watched one full episode of Q&A when politicians were not on the panel. I have occasionally dipped into the show, but usually I can’t bear it after 10 minutes. As a political junkie, what does that say about the show as a forum for “discussion” about key issues?

    I think the whole premise of the show is fundamentally broken. Topics are carefully curated and guest have their talking points pre-pared in advance, from which they will not deviate. The questions are not much better, being long winded statement, rather than a well formulated question. And do the tweets really add any value to the “discussion”?

    The format of the show is a throwback 18th century idea of politicians facing questions and expecting that they will answer honestly. Its format needs to be brought into the 21st C.

  14. Twitter is your audience. Ignore us at your peril. It’s about time these people stopped dismissing people on Twitter as ‘trolls’ & irrelevant. We are voters. We are viewers. Our opinion matters. If people on Twitter are telling you why your show is failing listen to us.

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