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Nine News claims the year in Melbourne

Nine News has already claimed the year in Melbourne, winning 21 ratings weeks in 2012 -and there's more good news for Today and ACA.

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Nine News has already claimed the year in Melbourne, winning all 21 ratings weeks so far in 2012.

Rival network Seven is now unable to topple Nine in the remaining 19 weeks.

The weeknight edition presented by Peter Hitchener, Tony Jones and Livinia Nixon, has averaged 378,972 weekly viewers compared to Seven News on 329,566.

“It’s very pleasing indeed. We’re thrilled, and I think every member of the team would join me in saying that and thanking viewers for their support,” Peter Hitchener told TV Tonight.

“It says a lot about our team and our News Director Hugh Nailon.”

The weekend edition with Alicia Loxley also leads Seven’s weekend bulletin with Jennifer Keyte.

The battle for News viewers in Melbourne is the most volatile in the country with recent years won intermittently by both Seven and Nine.

“Everyone puts on very good News services I think. Personally I think all the stations do a great job. Melbourne’s a place where news matters and people take it seriously and I think that accounts for the closeness of the race in recent years,” Hitchener said.

“We’re always looking at the things that are important to people, which is a constant quest, and providing it for them.”

Hitchener has been anchor at Nine since 1998 after 20 years as deputy to Brian Naylor. He also worked alongside Sir Eric Pearce, after joining Nine in 1973.

But despite already claiming the year, there’s still more work to be done in the on-going battle at 6pm.

“The Olympics are only a week away and that will be compelling viewing, so we’re looking forward to that and I’m sure there will be plenty of activity between now and the end of the year,” he said.

“We had our first live cross from Tony Jones on Friday night. He presented the sport from London and the amazing thing with is with the facilities the way they are there was almost no delay at all. It was almost like he was in our studio in Melbourne.”

Nine News has also has just one more week to claim the year in Sydney, but with Seven’s grip on Adelaide and Perth, Seven remains the national leader.

Meanwhile the Today show has also claimed the breakfast TV war in Melbourne for the fifth consecutive year, winning 21 of 40 weeks. It has averaged 114,725 viewers in Melbourne to 91,585 for Sunrise.

A Current Affair only needs one more week to win in Melbourne against Today Tonight.

Both Sunrise and Today Tonight remain in front nationally.

13 Responses

  1. @jonno. Interesting you are comparing 10 figures when as you say its not in primetime.
    Fact is 9 news in Melb and Sydney will win the year 2012.
    All the best.

  2. @Sanndy, I do remember Mal at 7. When he was there he was up against Brian Naylor,who was a god when it comes to newsreading. When the Sydney based fairfax took over 7 Melbourne, they gutted the station. They got rid of Mal and the institution that was World Of Sport. After Mal went, Sevens rating plummeted to unimaginable figures and Tens went sky high. To compare the figures of a 5 pm news service to a prime time news service is very naive.

  3. @jonno.Mal, worked as head news reader at 7 years ago and it didn’t work. Maybe your not old enough 2 remember the amount of news readers 7 has had over the years in Melbourne, i can at least think of 4 until now.

  5. @jonno. When 10 news in Melbourne is getting 177, ooo on a Friday night and other news services are in the high 300’s – low 400’s i think that says it all.

  7. “Melbourne’s a place where news matters and people take it seriously and I think that accounts for the closeness of the race in recent years,” Hitchener said.

    But it’s not really News at all is it? In the chase for ratings thsese shows have descended into a couple of minutes of headlines supplemented by nothing more than human interest stories lifted from women’s mags, sport and celebrity gossip.

    Dumbing down at its finest!

  9. I dont know if its me but i find both Peter’s in Melbourne rather boring. I find neither really connect with their audience. Mal Walden on Ten is much better. If Nine or Seven poached him they would then become a clear No.1.

  11. @nrc. Stick with the news channel you are watching!!
    1 more week won in Sydney 9 news and they have won the year also.
    Excellent result for 9 news.

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