A definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. That was an observation from Albert Einstein. Little did we know that Albert was also a TV critic. Just look at the Nine Network and the way it keeps wheeling out Karl Stefanovic for low-rating programs. Following Sunday’s 60 Minutes flop, This Time Next Year attracted 731,000 national viewers — the lowest figure for the four episodes so far (the highest was 956,000 for the first). Back in 2017 the program was a smash hit with 1.7 million national viewers and more per episode. Almost 50% of The Block’s 1.34 million viewers last night turned off This Time Next Year. How long will Nine’s programmers ignore that viewer judgement and heed Einstein’s warning?

The Block made sure it was Nine’s night from Seven and a solid Ten which saw Have You Been Paying Attention (1.10 million nationally) and Australian Survivor (1.06 million) do well. It was a night in fact for all viewers (except for This Time Next Year) as the top 11 programs nationally had a million or more viewers — the most for any night for some time.

Network channel share:

  1. Nine (28.9%)
  2. Seven (25.1%)
  3. Ten (22.2%)
  4. ABC (17.0%)
  5. SBS (6.8%)

Network main channels:

  1. Nine (22.2%)
  2. Seven (17.0%)
  3. Ten (16.9%)
  4. ABC  (13.1%)
  5. SBS ONE (4.1%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. 10 Bold (3.3%)
  2. 7TWO,7mate (3.0%)
  3. Gem (2.9%)
  4. ABC Kids/Comedy, GO (2.4%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.717 million
  2. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.682 million
  3. Nine/NBN News 6.30 — 1.347 million
  4. The Block (Nine) — 1.345 million
  5. Nine/NBN News — 1.260 million
  6. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.170 million
  7. Have You Been Paying Attention (Ten) — 1.105 million
  8. Home and Away (Seven) — 1.093 million
  9. 7pm ABC News — 1.092 million
  10. Australian Survivor (Ten) — 1.061 million

Top metro programs:

  1. Seven News — 1.066 million
  2. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.052 million
  3. Nine News 6.30 — 1.021 million

Losers: Seven — not in the hunt despite a solid night for the news.

Metro news and current affairs:

  1. Seven News — 1.066 million
  2. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.052 million
  3. Nine News 6.30 — 1.021 million
  4. Nine News— 967,000
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) – 827,000
  6. 7pm ABC News – 751,000
  7. 7.30 (ABC) — 594,000
  8. Four Corners (ABC) — 557,000
  9. Australian Story (ABC) — 549,000
  10. Media Watch (ABC) — 533,000

Morning (National) TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) — National: 464,000, Metro: 276,000
  2. Today (Nine) — National: 325,000, Metro 213,000
  3. News Breakfast (ABC, ABC News) — 266,000
  4. The Morning Show (Seven) — 211,000
  5. Mornings (Nine) — 165,000
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 76,000

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) – 138,000
  2. AFL: On The Couch (Fox Footy) — 81,000
  3. AFL Tonight (Fox Footy — 68,000
  4. The Bolt Report (Sky News) — 51,000
  5. NRL: 360 (Fox League) — 50,000