Despite the costly and confusing mid-year swap of network allegiances by WIN, Nine and Ten, Canberra's No. 1 vote for free-to-air TV viewing in 2016 went to the commercial-free ABC.
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Full-year audience data shows sporting, cooking and renovating contests on the commercial channels attracted the capital's biggest armchair crowds over the 40-week TV ratings season, which finished at the weekend.
But the ABC won the overall Canberra ratings for the year with an average network share of 27.4 per cent between 6pm and midnight.
The Network Seven content carried by Prime7 and its 7Two and 7mate channels ran second overall (with a 24.2 per cent network share), ahead of Nine's content (24.0 per cent), Ten's content (14.5) and SBS (10.0).
Across the combined southern NSW TV market – which groups Canberra with the Wollongong/South Coast and Orange, Dubbo and Wagga Wagga viewing areas – the ABC fell back into third place.
BIG SWITCH
The ABC was the clear winner in the first half of the year and has remained unchallenged in Canberra since July 1, when Southern Cross Austereo switched over to Nine's programs and branding and WIN began showing Ten's shows.
Over the second half of the year, the ABC averaging 27.5 per cent of the nightly audience ahead of Nine (with a 24.2 share) and Prime7 (23.2). WIN's loss of Nine's programming relegated the Wollongong-based network to fourth overall (15.6) - ahead of only SBS (9.5) - though it has grown the audience for Ten content year on year.
POPULAR SHOWS
Seven of the 10 most-watched shows in Canberra this year were sports telecasts, led by the first two State of Origin matches (back when WIN showed Nine's programs). Cronulla's NRL grand final win and the AFL grand final were also popular.
Reality TV contests The Block, My Kitchen Rules and House Rules featured in the top 20. Ten of the 20 most-watched programs were from Nine, eight were on Prime7 and two were on the ABC.
The national broadcaster's top-ranked show was the David Attenborough documentary Great Barrier Reef. SBS didn't have a show among the top 100.
The most-watched news programs were the ABC's 7pm Canberra bulletins on Sunday and Saturday, which ranked 27th (with an average of 43,071 viewers) and 48th (36,145), respectively.
The ABC's other popular shows included British crime mysteries Death in Paradise, Midsomer Murders and Father Brown.
The top miniseries was the Molly Meldrum saga Molly on Prime7, followed by Ten's Peter Brock biography on WIN. Canberra's favourite Australian drama series were Rebecca Gibney's Wanted on Prime7 and the ABC's Doctor Blake Mysteries.
PRIME'S TIME
Prime7 was quick to claim overall victory, putting out a media release even before the official ratings period finished at midnight on Saturday.
Describing itself as "the most watched television network across NSW (including the ACT and Gold Coast) and Victoria for the fourth year in a row", Prime7 said its lead over its commercial rivals in those markets had never been bigger.
Prime7 claimed wins in 38 of 40 survey weeks in those markets, and said The Chase was the year's most-watched game show, Sunrise was the top breakfast program, Sunday Night was the most-watched public affairs program and the final season of Downton Abbey was the top international series.
After another year of frustration as his industry's pleas for the scrapping of media ownership rules that prevent mergers between regional and metropolitan TV networks went unheeded, Prime Media Group chief executive Ian Audsley welcomed the ratings results.
"In a year which saw a once-in-a-generation change where our competitors switched affiliation agreements, it's great to see that our consistent brand and programming continues to resonate strongly with viewers," Mr Audsley said.
SMALL WINS
WIN's share of nightly viewers in Canberra puts it in fourth place overall, but Bruce Gordon's broadcaster is doing better as Ten's regional affiliate than Southern Cross Austereo did.
And moving WIN News to the 6pm timeslot on WIN's primary channel – in place of Family Feud – appears to have helped.
In its media release, WIN noted that it had significantly grown the Ten audience year-on-year in Canberra since the change in network affiliations.
In the first 90 minutes of prime-time Monday to Friday, WIN's news and The Project averaged the largest network commercial share of viewers aged 16-39, with 43.2 per cent.
WIN's best-performing Ten content was Brock, Bathurst 1000 coverage and Masterchef Australia. Among 16-39s, Australian Survivor and The Bachelor were also popular.
WIN said the network commercial share of total people watching Ten content between 6pm-10.30pm across the full week since the affiliate switch had grown by 12.8 per cent from the equivalent period in 2015 (when Ten's shows were carried by Southern Cross).
WIN CEO Andrew Lancaster said Ten, in which Mr Gordon is the largest shareholder, had always been known for having a strong hold on the 16-39 demographic.
"Our end of year results have shown significant growth for Ten programming when you compare the 2016 results on WIN to the 2015 performance," Mr Lancaster said. "Growth is important especially as consumers access a more fragmented media landscape. We couldn't be happier. Our commitment to growing the audience for Ten product … across regional Australia will continue in 2017."
NEWS WAR
The half-hour Canberra bulletin of WIN News did not rate a mention among the 100 top-rating shows in 2016.
But plans by Southern Cross Austereo and Nine to launch 15 weeknight regional editions of Nine News in early 2017 threaten to dilute WIN's existing local news audience at 6pm.
Nine's roll-out of the hour-long weeknight bulletins begins in February in Canberra and Wollongong, with other markets to follow.
The NSW and ACT bulletins will be presented from Nine's Sydney studios by former ABC national weather presenter Vanessa O'Hanlon.
