New director for Fairfax Media. Fairfax Media has announced the appointment of a second retailer to its board: David Jones chairman, Bob Savage. He’s also chairman of major fund manager, Perpetual Trustees. Both are leading Sydney companies. His announcement was revealed in a statement to the ASX by chairman, Ron Walker, whose position has been the subject of some low key murmurings that he might be replaced by a Fairfax: John B Fairfax of Rural Press. Walker has laughed that off, but considering how years ago, when Fairfax was a family company, David Jones was considered part of the “orbit” for the Fairfax and Lloyd Jones families, don’t be surprised at further changes. — Glenn Dyer

Diana, Origin and Sea Patrol should give Nine a rare ratings win. The Nine Network is punting on a heady mixture of a dead Princess, some big blue and maroon “no necks” and the glitzy debut of an expensive new series, to give it a clear win in the first week in the back half of the 2007 ratings year. Dianamania will hit us next week and Nine will be riding the wave of nostalgia for all it’s worth. The Seven Network got in early with the interview with Princes Harry and William last Tuesday and it did well with just over a million people watching at 10pm. Next Sunday night, Nine has scheduled a one hour special at 8.30pm called Diana’s Last Day. That’s the one that dared to show pictures of the car crash in which she was killed. Then on Monday night it simulcasts (with Foxtel) three hours of the Diana concert from Britain from 8.30pm. That should be enough to win the week along with the third and last State of Origin game from Brisbane on Wednesday night. But wait, there’s more… next Thursday sees the launch of its very expensive, taxpayer-supported naval drama, Sea Patrol. Not only has Sea Patrol been given the best part of $4 million through the Film Financing Corporation, but the Navy contributed the boats, crews and technical know how. It’s all about recruiting. So don’t expect any mention of the fatigue or pressures of patrolling across large areas of ocean off Australia’s northern coasts. — Glenn Dyer

Dancing Daryl going back to the future? Daryl Somers is hard to classify as a TV performer. On the face of it he’s pretty ordinary. But he has been successful for the best part of 35 years, which is more than you can say for most of the stars who have drifted in and out of our living rooms in that time. He’s also a survivor with an enviable amount of rat cunning. Hey Hey was his crowning glory, but as it lost its way and viewers in the late 1990s, the then Nine Network CEO, David Leckie, was forced to put it down. A tough decision which didn’t make Leckie and Somers the closest of mates. Now Leckie is running Seven and Somers is fronting the network’s ratings monster Dancing With The Stars. But Somers is a cautious lad and always makes sure he’s a wanted commodity. As each series of Dancing has ended, he has indulged in a bit of “will we be back?” sort of public posturing. To some in TV, Dazza’s public hand wringings are poor form, others know it’s a negotiating tactic. In 2005 the Nine Network tried to snaffle Somers back from Seven with promises of redoing Hey, Hey. Nothing came of it but Dazza hankers after past glories, so what do we get over the weekend? News that Somers is going to do a pilot of a new version of Hey Hey. And, guess what? The next series of Dancing With The Stars will be hosted by …. Daryl Somers. Beautiful work, Daryl. Seven and Somers will develop the pilot idea and, you never know, we could see it on the last Saturday night in official ratings later this year. It would rate its socks off. — Glenn Dyer

Last night’s TV ratings
The Winners: Seven scored a clear win, despite a couple of Nine programs showing up at the finish in their timeslots. 14 programs had a million or more viewers and once again Seven news was the most watched program with 1.650 million people. Today Tonight was second with 1.580 million and Desperate Housewives was third for Seven at 8.30 pm with 1.422 million. That was just in front of Eddie McGuire’s 1 vs 100 which averaged 1.417 million and was a 75 minute show last night. Nine News was 5th with 1.406 million people, the final program in this series of What’s Good For You averaged 1.299 million (a better finish than start); and A Current Affair averaged 1.285 million people. Temptation won the 7 pm battle with 1.275 million, Seven’s The Rich List was 9th with 1.264 million and Home And Away was 10th with 1.250 million viewers. Next came the 7 pm ABC News with 1.135 million people, Seven’s 5.30 quiz show, Deal or No Deal was 12th with 1.041 million, the Big Brother Live Nomination was 13th with 1.036 million and the recut More Than Enough Rope of Andrew Denton was the 14th and final show with a million or more viewers with 1.016 million. Then came 7 pm Big Brother with 986,000, Torchwood on Ten at 9.40 pm with 895,000 and Supernatural on Ten at 8.40 pm with 872,000. Seven’s 9.30 program, Brothers And Sisters averaged 961,000.
 
The Losers: Losers? Bargain Hunt, 496,000 for Nine at 5pm (beaten by MASH on Seven with 550,000 and the Ten News). Antiques Roadshow 686,000. Still doing better than Bert at 5.30pm but at a fraction of the cost. That wasn’t a good number for Brothers and Sisters last night. Mythbusters on SBS at 7.30 in repeat, 599,000. Footy Classified on Nine at 9.50pm in Melbourne and the south, 407,000. Nine ran the repeat of CSI in Sydney and Brisbane for 422,000 viewers. Both beaten in part by the re-cut Andrew Denton interview and Brothers and Sisters.
 
News & CA: Seven News and Today Tonight won nationally and in every market but Brisbane. Ten News At Five averaged 961,000. Ten News Late/Sports Tonight averaged 383,000. The 7.30 Report averaged 974,000 people; Lateline, 403,000, Lateline Business, 163,000. SBS World News Australia, 200,000 at 6.30 pm, 131,000 at 9.30 pm. 7am Sunrise, 424,000, 7am Today (on the road this week) averaged 275,000. The 9am Morning Show on Seven, 228,000, Kerri Anne on Nine at 9am, 131,000, 9am with David and Kim, 99,000.
 
The Stats: Seven won with 29.5% (29.1% a week ago) from Nine won with a share of 26.5%.(27.9%). Ten was third with 20.4% (20.7%), the ABC finished with 17.8% (16.1%) and SBS was on 5.9% (6.1%). Seven won Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Nine won Brisbane comfortably. Nine leads the week narrowly, 28.8% to 23.3%. In regional areas a win for Nine with WIN/NBN on 31.1%, Prime/7Qld on 28.2%, Southern cross on 18.8%, the ABC on 15.2% and SBS on 6.7%.
 
Glenn Dyer’s comments: By running 1 vs 100 longer by 15 minutes, Nine avoided a nasty little 15 minute black hole around 10.30 pm before the first night’s cross to Wimbledon happened at 10.45. Why the cross wasn’t at 10.30pm who knows (it has been in past years and it is tonight). And when Nine went to London, the rain came down. It was as though the wet weather in Sydney had moved to Britain. But when I switched on the TV around 5 am Tuesday morning, there it was, the tennis, at 8pm London time. No lights, folks rugged up, anoraks, gloves and scarves and cheering Pom Tim Henman. High summer in London SW 19. The interesting thing from Monday night TV was the 1.016 million people who tuned into watch a recut version (with all the off cuts from the pre-record) from Andrew Denton’s talk to Michael Parkinson. Parkie is more interesting than the lightweight stuff he’s churning out now and which appears late on Saturdays on the ABC (around 10.15, 10.20pm). Looking at the recut chat I could understand why more than a million people turned in to watch what was a bit of a repeat. It was intelligent and witty TV. A rare occurrence these days. Tonight its Seven to move ahead with It Takes Two and All Saints. Nine tries us viewers with Crime and Justice/AKA The Code and those horrible Kiwi Neighbours. CSI New York will disappoint at 8.30 pm and not give any help to Mick Molloy’s efforts at 9.30pm. The ABC is on air, Ten has a new NCIS and The Simpsons. SBS is also broadcasting: Look at your guides for both national broadcasters.