1.2m viewers tune in for ABC’s Don Burke investigation
Interviews with four alleged victims of harassment by TV presenter Don Burke pulled in 1.2m national viewers for the ABC’s 7.30 program last night.
The results of the joint investigation by the ABC and Fairfax averaged a metro audience of 863,000, according to preliminary overnight metro ratings from OzTam. The audience was the highest for 7.30 on a Monday night in more than six months.
Meanwhile, Nine’s A Current Affair – which featured a tough interview between Tracy Grimshaw and Burke – captured 816,000 metro viewers. Including regional viewers this number rose to 1.146m nationally.
Burke’s inquisition by Grimshaw aired on ACA
Last night also saw the finale of the first season of Nine’s Family Food Fight. An average of of 594,000 metro viewers tuned in well below the hopes of Nine’s entertainment boss Adrian Swift who had told Mumbrella he was aiming for 800,000 metro viewers for the series.
Taking into account regional, viewing Family Food Fight rose to 815,000 viewers nationally.
The show just managed to beat Seven’s Instant Hotel, with a metro audience of 578,000, while Ten’s All Star Family Feud – with radio stars Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O – drew 337,000 metro viewers.
Ten’s final episode for the year of Have You Been Paying Attention? won its later time slot with 772,000 metro viewers, and topped all key advertising demographics (16-39, 18-49, 25-54).
However the most watched program of the night was Seven News at 6pm, which had 956,000 metro viewers and 1.488m national viewers, ahead of Nine News’ 860,000 metro viewers.
Nine won the night with a share of 17.3, just ahead of Seven’s 17.2%.
ABC’s coverage of the Burke scandal boosted the channel to a 16% share, ahead of Ten’s 13.9% and SBS’ 5%.
