The Parrot to Seven? The appearance of Sydney radio talkback host and shouter, Al Jones, in several stories on the Seven Network, has given rise to speculation that the gabster might replace his now terminated Nine Network Today Show gig, with one on Seven. Seven says no, and that Jones will be interviewed and appear in Today Tonight and other stories much the way that 3AW’s Neil Mitchell does from Melbourne. He appeared last night in a story on TT last night, giving rise to the latest rumours. When Jones was flicked by the new management of Nine from Today Jones rang Seven boss, David Leckie. I understand there was no commitment but Jones was then interviewed by TT on a number of subjects and the comments put in the can to be dribbled out in a number of items over the following weeks. (Or that’s what it looks like from the number of times Jones has appeared in TT items wearing the same clothes). This is why there was a suggestion that Jones was angling for a commentary slot on TT but he is only well known in Sydney and he didn’t lift the ratings of Today anywhere. Seven also knows that Jones is an unguided missile at times with a number of defamation actions (10 at last count) against him and 2GB, his station in Sydney. One nasty case against the former senior NSW police officer, Clive Small, was settled this week the day before the case was due to start in the NSW Supreme Court. The terms were confidential but Small was reported ton have received a “substantial settlement”. Would Seven and Leckie want that ‘contingent liability’ appearing daily on the network? — Glenn Dyer

Ian Ross signing off? What is going on at Seven and why won’t the network and David Leckie re-sign Sydney newsreader, Ian Ross? Judging by some of the leaks to The Australian’s Media section about how the signing of Jessica Rowe is causing waves in the Sydney newsroom, with Ross and Chris Bath supposedly looking over their shoulders, some game is being played. Leckie and Seven could quite easily end it by announcing a new contract with Ross for one or two years, just like the one he has now which ends when ratings finish in late November. — Glenn Dyer

Ray’s new 5pm gig. So the struggling new management of the Nine network want to give limelight junkie Ray Martin a gig in a new 5pm national news to be broadcast out of Sydney? Nine would be better off polishing up Mick Molloy’s The Nation from where it’s dying at 10.30pm Wednesday nights and sticking it in at 5.30pm to provide a dramatically different contract to the very successful Deal or No Deal on Seven. News of the desperate Nine move was contained in this story in The Australian’s Media Section today which showed little understanding of what is really going on and why a 5pm news was being mentioned. It’s an idea being raised at Nine because it is cheap TV and a cheap solution to a problem where the wrong questions are being asked. The right questions are: what is wrong with the 6pm news and A Current Affair? The answer is plenty. From readers, to reporters, content and look. The solutions are expensive, but won’t be solved by cutting staff, as the private equity owners and CEO Ian Law, are rumoured to be thinking of doing. So Nine can’t so anything about the 6pm to 7pm hour (and Nine news management are incapable of leading because there’s no experience at the top), where else can we do something? The answer was 5pm and get Ray Martin. He’s a Nine star and stick it on nationally and that will boost the news. Well it won’t, the problem is at 5.30pm where Seven’s Deal Or No Deal is up to 300,000 to 350,000 ahead of Nine’s Antiques Roadshow (and before that the unsuccessful Bert’s Family Feud). Nine’s 6pm News and ACA have fallen behind Seven News and Today Tonight this year as the ratings year has gone on, the gap having widened since around weeks 10 to 12 of official ratings. And then there’s the question of the host. Ray Martin isn’t a newsreader, he a former Midday and ACA host, and a good reporter for 60 Minutes, Sunday and ACA, and a host of the odd special. But not a reader of news. There’s also the old, old question (which Nine found when it briefly broadcast the Extra programs back in 1992: Brisbane Extra is the only survivor) of which news broadcast gets the news: 5pm or 6pm? Laurie Oakes wouldn’t go on the 5pm news, nor would a hit court story or a big road smash because they are usually audience attractors and the name of the game is boost the 6pm news. And finally, audiences are falling in the early evening for various reasons but mainly because of the lengthening commutes in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane (the three main markets in TV). 6pm news audiences are falling because of that. Why give Nine viewers yet another reason not to watch the news? — Glenn Dyer

Last night’s TV ratings
The Winners: A good night for Ten, a poor night for Seven which finished third, Nine beating it for the second spot for the first time in several weeks. 17 programs with a million or more viewers, topped by the monster called Thank God You’re Here on Ten with 1.872 million (it was very funny and Shaun Micallef was very, very good. His part in the all in skit at the end was wonderful). Second was Ten’s House, boosted by Thank God. House averaged 1.753 million. Seven News was very strong with 1.610 million and Today Tonight was next with 1.476 million (a fair turn-off there). Spicks and Specks was good on the ABC at 8.30pm (it was funny) with 1.301 million and Seven’s Home And Away won the 7pm slot with 1.281 million. Nine’s Without A Trace at 9.30pm averaged 1.258 million for 7th slot and Cold Case at 8.30pm was next with 1.217 million (both recent highs because there was nothing on Seven to tempt). Nine’s Temptation averaged 1.202 million for 9th spot and Nine News was in 10th on 1.189 million (which is low). Ray Martin and a 5pm news won’t help). McLeod’s Daughters battled away with 1.146 million at 7.30pm in the face of the monster on Ten; Seven’s Police Files Unlocked averaged 1.146 million over an hour from 7.30pm and 7pm. Big Brother averaged 1.121 million. A Current Affair was also sharply lower for a Wednesday on 1.109 million; the 7pm ABC News was 15th with 1.096 million and Medium, on Ten at 9.30pm averaged 1.021 million. Neighbours regained the million mark with 1.019 million as viewers remained to see what the fuss was about. That meant every program on Ten from 6.30pm to 10.30 averaged a million or more viewers.

The Losers: Losers? Seven’s tactic of putting a movie on at 8.30pm. Even if you are so far ahead in the ratings you can’t lose, it’s not a good look. In fact it was a bit toxic last night, Seven finished fourth between 8.30pm and 9.30pm. Ten junked Pirate Master when it fell to around the 603,000 that last night’s movie, Ladder, achieved. Seven will either have to find better movies, or get real. Viewers are quick to leave these days.

News & CA: Seven News and Today Tonight again won nationally and last night won every market and had surprisingly large margins (over 420,000 for the news). Ten News At Five averaged 913,000, the Late News/Sports Tonight, 467,000. Nine’s Nightline, 208,000. The 7.30 Report, down to 792,000 because of Thank God on Ten. Lateline 248,000, Lateline Business, 136,000. World News Australia on SBS, 219,000 at 6.30pm, 189,000 at 9.30pm. Dateline, 194,000. 7am Sunrise down to 369,000, 7am Today, down to 236,000. 9am Morning on Seven down to 157,000, its lowest so far. KAK on Nine at 9am, 122,000, 9AM with David and Kim on Ten, 99,000.

The Stats: Ten won last night with 29.6% (27.7%) from Nine with 25.8% (24.4%), Seven on 22.7% (26.5%), the ABC with 15.6% (16.1%) and SBS with 6.3% (5.3%). Ten won all five metro markets and Seven’s lead over Nine shrank to 27.5% to 25.4% (Last night was another example of Seven’s old fault of snatching defeat from the jaws of success). In regional areas, Ten wasn’t so popular. Nine won through WIN/NBN with 29.8% from Southern Cross (Ten) with 26.7%, Prime/Seven Qld with 23.3%, the ABC on 14.3% and SBS with 6.0%.

Glenn Dyer’s comments: Seven’s tactic of running movies at 8.30pm Wednesday had better change if it wants to lift its game. The first two movies were reasonably strong. Last night was terrible, just 603,000 for two hours 55 minutes. That’s a Nine Network-like performance on a Monday or Tuesday night. But Seven is seemingly running dead (as it is on Thursday nights) because the opposition has stronger programming (Ten last night, Nine tonight). Tonight its Nine’s Patrol Boat. Seven finishes Lost with a double ep special which means we can’t see The Poo until 10.20 and watch his confusion when confronted by women of all ages in skimpy clothes. In good news for Ten viewers, Pirate Master has died in the US but Ten has already been embarrassed and made it go away here. Post midnight on New Year’s Eve for an ‘encore’ showing? Ten has its Tuesday night tactic of Simpsons from 7.30 to 8.30pm in place of the departed Daddo pirates until a new and repeat Law And Order Criminal Intent from 8.30pm. The ABC has Brat Camp and Difference of Opinion which will not worry any other program on at 9.25 to 10.20pm. It looked surprising tired last week.