Stick around for Q+A? Viewers say ‘no way’

Awoke briefly to watch the unwelcome realities of everyday life for millions of Japanese people — loneliness. 526,000 people agreed by sticking with the sort of report the ABC’s Foreign Correspondent should do more of.

Viewers didn’t stay around for Q+A, however — the old audience destroyer of 2020 and 2021 is back. Q+A was watched by just 322,000 nationally, a drop of nearly 38% compared to Foreign Correspondent, which preceded it. Loneliness isn’t just a Japanese phenomenon — just ask the loyal Q+A viewer. The “A” is often lost in blather.

In mornings, Nine’s Today Extra (170,000) had a rare win over Seven’s Mornings (167,000) after the audience for Sunrise slid sharply under 400,000 nationally to 388,000. Sunrise still topped Today from 7am to 9am.

It was Seven’s night as the games out-bored offerings on Nine, Ten, the ABC and SBS. The coming weekend, including Friday night, looks abysmal — rev up Netflix, Prime, Apple or even YouTube.

Network channel share:

1. Seven (34.5%)
2. Nine (27.3%)
3. ABC (16.2%)
4. Ten (13.6%)
5. SBS (8.4%)

Network main channels:

1. Seven (24.5%)
2. Nine (19.2%)
3. ABC (11.5%)
4. Ten (7.7%)
5. SBS ONE (3.8%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. 7mate (5.09%)
2. 7TWO (3.4%)
3. Gem (3.1%)
4. 10 Peach (2.9%)
5. 10 Bold (2.5)

Top 10 national programs:

1. Seven News 6.30 — 1.330 million
2. Seven News — 1.264 million
3. Nine News — 1.084 million
4. Nine News 6.30 — 988,000
5. 7pm ABC News — 929,000
6. A Current Affair (Nine) — 827,000
7. Home and Away (Seven) — 766,000
8. 7.30 (ABC) — 666,000
9. RBT (Nine), Winter Olympic Games Night 13, Evening 13 (Seven) — 648,000

Top metro programs: none with a million or more viewers.

Regional Top 5: Seven News 6.30, 465,000; Seven News, 410,000; 7pm ABC News, 294,000; Home and Away, 291,000; ACA, 260,000; Nine News 6.30, 285,000. 

Losers: Q+A — tiring to watch

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Seven News 6.30 — 865,000
2. Seven News — 854,000
3. Nine News — 792,000
4. Nine News 6.30 — 729,000
5. 7pm ABC News — 635,000
6. ACA (Nine) — 567,000
7. 7.30 (ABC) — 439,000
8. Foreign Correspondent (ABC) — 367,000
9. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 306,000
10. 10 News First — 281,000

Morning (national) TV:

1. Sunrise (Seven) — 388,000/222,000
2. Today (Nine) — 312,000/216,000
3. ABC News Breakfast (ABC) — 279,000/192,000
4. Today Extra (Nine) — 170,000
5. The Morning Show (Seven) —167,000
6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 40,000

Top 5 pay TV programs:

1. The Great Australian Bake Off (LifeStyle) — 61,000
2. Paul Murray Live (Sky News) — 50,000
3. Credlin (Sky News) — 46,000
4. The Bolt Report (Sky News) — 44,000
5. Gold Rush (Discovery) — 40,000