Seven takes Nine to court over claims Today is number one in Australia
The Seven Network has gone legal with the Nine Network over its claims its Today show is number one in Australia, after claiming to have won the ratings year.
Seven disputes Nine’s claims Today is number one in Australia
Nine claimed the win on Saturday after Today won its 21st official ratings week of the year by a slender margin. It is the first time it has beaten Sunrise by this measure in 12 years.
However, those numbers were based on the audiences in the five capital cities – metro audiences – with Seven’s Sunrise ahead on the combined regional and metro audiences, and with the average audience numbers for the year still too close to call.
A court hearing is scheduled for Friday.
The claim centres on a press release circulated by Nine on Saturday claiming it had triumphed to “regain the crown as Australia’s number one”.
The filing of the suit and squabble over how audiences should be measured emerged on the same evening as Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner claimed other media had to catch up with TV in their measurement systems.
Taking aim at much-maligned digital measures and radio’s “paper diary” system he said at Seven’s Newfronts event: “We do not mark our own homework.”
A source said Nine was “bemused’ by the impending court action, which comes at a time when TV networks have come together in a range of initiatives, not least a new industry body Think TV and live streaming app Freeview FV.
What a joke!
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Two bald men fighting over a comb.
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The only people who care about this are the lawyers making money out of this ridiculous action.
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Best comment ever.
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But this is how the big boys play. The rating game is so hot, that the tiniest percentage point is all that is needed, to claim superiority.
This kind of nonsense stands in stead of producing quality television.
If you are good, prove it by being good, strive to produce the best, and strive to stand alone, with your own personality and style.
Once the productions required quality programming input, it’s amazing, that in the greedy self concerned world of today, it seems that all you need is a cash cow.
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Traditionally the metro and regional ratings were reported on (PR’d) separately, primarily due to ownership issues, different programming schedules. In fact I remember when it was ‘strictly verboten’ to add them together. Now it seems to be ‘en vogue’. And of course they should be combined … when all parties agree.
Let’s see what the courts make of this (if they don’t fall asleep from boredom first).
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