Coding the biggest winner
TEN cleverly employs strategic coding tactics again for its reality grand finals to help the ratings results.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under Programming
TEN will once again strategically code its finale episodes for big reality shows next week to help it net a bigger ratings result.
The two hour Biggest Loser finale will now air as:
Sunday
8:30pm The Biggest Loser Finale (90 mins)
10pm The Biggest Loser: Winner Announced (30 mins)
So You Think You Can Dance Australia‘s finale will now air as
Wednesday
8:30pm So You Think You Can Dance Australia: Finale Night (60 mins)
9:30pm So You Think You Can Dance Australia: Winner Announced (60 mins)
The result of the shorter-coded programmes should ensure TEN nets a higher average than a figure that would emerge from a longer 2 hr show. The next day, the press looks a lot more rosy, as well as at the end of year when lists are drawn up.
That said, there’s actually nothing wrong with this clever tactic, and it is one TEN has perfected for marquee events including Australian Idol, Big Brother and the AFL Grand Final. All’s fair in love, war and programming?
Given this it’s actually a surprise Dance has a 2 x 60 min eps rather than a 90 / 30 split.
Other networks have more recently followed suit. On Sunday night Underbelly was coded as two separate hours with OzTAM rather than one 2 hour event.
6 Responses
So how do they sell this? Do advertisers get to buy in the premium final hour slots, or do they just get stuck with wherever their ads get placed across the entire 120mins? Bet they don’t. Can’t have your cake …
What will the extra 20 minutes over time of (pre recorded) content be classified as, ‘Winner actually Announced’, ‘Thanks for Watching 2 hours of nothing’?
wont help either shows ratings anyway.
I don’t see what this has to do with ACMA, James H?
Makes sense with Underbelly as it was two episodes – but with finales of reality competition shows, they are not.
ACMA doing its job.