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Late List: March results

Nine tops the Late List for March, while Seven shows a marked improvement.

2012-09-05_1442There were 28 entries filed by readers on the TV Tonight Late List, during March, down from 33 in February.

Nine took top place over Seven, with extensive Reality shows back in schedule and breaking news events.

Nine: 15
TEN: 7
Other: 3
Seven: 2
Foxtel: 1
SBS: 0
ABC: 0

Amongst the filed entries were:

Fat Tony & Co. Advertised time: 8:40pm / Actual 8:53pm
Love Child Advertised time: 8:40pm / Actual 9:03pm
The Block  Advertised time: 7:30pm / Actual 7:40pm
Puberty Blues Advertised time: 8:30pm / Actual 8:39pm
Psych Advertised time: 2:00pm / Actual 2:35pm
Revenge Advertised time: 9:00pm / Actual 9:05pm
Southern Cross News Advertised time: 6:30pm / Actual 6:34pm

Do people still feel the Late List is worth offering as a site feature? It seems to have produced anecdotal evidence that Nine and Seven are the biggest offenders, TEN is much better and ABC, Foxtel and SBS are exemplary. But entries have also dropped overall, are readers happy with current scheduling?

You can file an entry here.

NB: The Late List is a crowd-sourcing trial and is not scientifically conducted. It relies on the trust of readers to resource information.

20 Responses

  1. I give ch7/9 shows up to 30 min extra when setting my PVR but the likes of SBS/ABC just 5-10 min buffer because they usually start on time according to the EPG and printed guides but some shows start 5 min past the usual start, but they are usually advertised at like 8:35.

    TEN is usually not too bad unless there is breaking news or a reality show runs over. But it’s usually less than 10 mins.

    There is no point having networks update the EPG at the last minute it they still state a show is on at 8:30 when it won’t be starting until 25 min later.

  2. The problem is that people complain about late starts, but that doesn’t actually mean anything. Seven and Nine have the most late starts, and their reality shows are the main problem, but look how they rate. The networks won’t change anything until these late starts start hurting ratings, which they currently are not doing. If people started switching off shows once they run late, then I bet the networks would figure out the importance of scheduling. But people won’t switch off MKR or TB if it runs 20 minutes overtime. Instead, they will continue to watch these late running shows and then complain about it later.

  3. Last night really took the cake..

    ACA ran until 8pm.

    I know they were covering the story on those brothers but if it started at 7 then surely an hour is over saturation? It’s no excuse and shows a complete lack of planning. What are their producers doing? Clear the run down and dedicate your whole half hour to it.

    If I hadn’t been at a family members house I would have completely switched off. Instead I was made to sit through the last half hour of this crap.

    On top of that, Nine also had a watermark saying Inside Story starts at 8.45. If you know you’re already over by 25 minutes don’t use your watermark guys?

    It was embarrassing and annoying. After the Block auctions the only thing I’ll be watching are the NRL matches.

    I’m so grumpy.

  4. maxxdude “In the US they would never dream of running late due to advertising rates. Maybe advertisers can press Seven & Nine here to keep the times in check”

    It would be interesting to know what Aussie advertisers think of the practice.

    The Late List was a great idea David but can understand your point of it having served it’s purpose as the networks obviously see nothing wrong with what they’re doing.

  5. here’s a new rule for every channel.

    if you can’t get a show done and dusted in the alloted time (with ad breaks for all but ABC), they should lose funding, or something similar.

    on another note, Ten have now been running the Project up to 5 minutes late for at least the last 2 weeks, despite the fact that pretty much every night they are being smashed by ABC (and the ABC run every show to the minute).

    Food for thought…

  6. I’ve contributed less as I have basically given up on watching anything on FTA except on ABC and SBS because other means is becoming such an ease. If I watch something on the commerical stations it is always on PVR with extended time buffer.
    My main gripe is that I cannot set weekly recordings as I never know if the show will start on time or even be on the same day. I have to go through my EPG each Sunday and set the weeks recording and update them on the day to start around the correct time.

  7. In answer to your question David I think it’s gone past the point of worth given pretty much every show runs late now. I am one who has given up reporting late shows because pretty much all shows on the commercial networks after 7pm will finish over time.

  8. Can only speak for myself. I was really glad when you started it. I thought it was great that you built the service in response to comments from people here, and it was also a good idea to see if what people were saying anecdotally was supported by some data.

    It was a shame that more people didn’t contribute and, of course, because we’re not regularly reminded about it, we forget to take a note of the relevant info when a show is late.

    Last year, other than for sport, I finally gave up on watching programs as they were broadcast on the 3 commercial networks – mostly because they were unwilling to start these programs at the (different) times that they advertised.

    So, it has served it’s purpose in confirming what most of us thought anyway, but it hasn’t encouraged the networks to lift their game – in fact, they’re worse that when it started.

  9. I think its got to the stage where its become expected that Sunrise/Today run late, MKR/The Block run late and multichannels regularly run late. I could seriously make 15 entries a day if I had the time/inclination to do so but I figure the Networks have long since decided that they don’t care about the viewers but about getting the jump on each other.
    I agree with your anecdotal evidence – 7/9, 10, ABC, sbs/fox. All the commercial multichannel seem random at times.

  10. The problem I believe is we have become so used to it.
    And now with PVRs we are watching less in real time so as long as the PVRs can deal with it we are alright.
    The Foxtel iq seems very accurate at keeping current.
    I do notice however my TiVo is completely lost late at night

  11. @David Knox
    Many Thanks for your input and efforts on viewers behalf, but in recent studies it has been proven that even if you wear a top of the range helmet/head protection, sustained bashing your head up against a brick wall coated with sound deadened thick skinned render, the worst possible effect will only be borne by yourself.

    Sorry but I have not contributed to your well intentioned ‘ Late List’ for some time now, simply because at my age I found I could not take on any more ‘ full time’ obligations.

  12. Unhappy chappy Nine, the last two weeks in a row I have had to catch up CSI ending on the internet because it started 40 mins late.

    I allow 5 mins buffer at the start and then 40 – 45 at the end when recording and I still didn’t get all the of the episodes I recorded.

    Looking forward to when the Block ends to stop this lateness, but I guess then the Voice will do it too. Can’t win.

  13. Oh dear…I had a gripe with TEN just recently and forgot to put it here…
    If it is not too much for you to do…I would like to see it keep going…..:)..
    Like Pertinax said…I think folk just feel defeated…but maybe if we noted more here..the networks may take more notice.

    1. I set it up in response to viewer complaints. I have endeavoured to do what I can to facilitate a voice for the audience and some wider perspective on what’s going on. But if it isn’t utilised, there isn’t much point in offering it as a feature.

  14. In the US they would never dream of running late due to advertising rates. Maybe advertisers can press Seven & Nine here to keep the times in check.

  15. 7 are only improving because they begin their post-MKR programming at 8:45(7:45 on Sunday) which although is their advertised time, this is not at the traditional 8:30 start time.

    How come networks in other countries can keep to a set timetable yet the networks here can’t.

  16. Channel Nine, what have you done. Last month you have had so many shows running late. You were much worse than Ten and Seven. The Nine Network is an unreliable channel for television programming.

  17. Not happy just resigned.

    Unless the Government decides to regulate the 8:30pm change over to create a level playing field when they next renew the broadcast licences nothing is going to change.

    And Ten may not last that long.

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