I’ve always held an awkward opinion on Channel Nine. As I kid, Channel Nine for me was considered to be the pinnacle of free to air Channels – the absolute epitome of good television, when really; it was in fact the flashy self-promotion and catchy theme songs that probably had me fooled. Throughout later years, my opinion on Nine lessened. Growing up, I familiarised Nine with the big events – the Olympics, the Cricket, the Footy (AFL of course) and most of the big blockbusters. It was only until I was much older that I began to question some of the Channels actions. They haven’t always played smart.
Inexorably, Nine is undergoing a ratings slump – the question is why? There are several reasons. For me, the first indication that Nine were losing their grip in the ratings game occurred to me when two of my family’s favourite Saturday night primetime programs were dropped: Smallville and The Gilmore Girls – almost at the same time. Then again, I had to comment on the bad marketing and terrible decision making taking place with the head honcho’s (particularly Kerry Packer) when marketing the first season of The OC on Nine. After promoting the show for over a fortnight the first three episodes were aired and then simply and unexpectedly dropped – I was perplexed. My view that Nine was the premier, best program toting, clever and untouchable Channel had now changed – and perhaps I wasn’t alone.
If I had to define the 3 flagship programs on Channel Nine, I would name The Today Show, A Current Affair and 60 Minutes. All news programs. The funny thing about each of these programs, the three programs that define Nine as a high rating, premier News Channel is that they are all rating lower.
Lets look at Nine. The Today Show, which was once the leading morning Breakfast Program has ultimately lost viewers to its Channel Seven competitor Sunrise – the Today Show now pales in comparison. What was once a fresh, lively and entertaining show has now become stale, irritating and corny. A Current Affair, which was always a nightly affair for my family, has ultimately lost our attention – and it seems we’re not alone. Back in the day when Ray Martin was hosting A Current Affair, the show seemed unstoppable, and it was only until Tracey Grimshaw (who I consider the downfall of The Today Show) took Ray’s (or more recently Mike Munro’s) seat, has the show started slipping. 60 Minutes, which for many years has grown comfortable holding the number 1 spot in its timeslot, has now been performing inconsistently – is it the next of Nines news programs to crash?.
If Channel Nine were to rectify their situation, and improve their ratings, there are always a number of possible (aggressive and conventional) solutions.
- It’s integral to feature (especially exclusively) a big time sporting event such as The Olympics (the rights owned by Channel 7), the AFL (rights owned by Channel Ten), the NRL (rights owned by Channel Nine), the Tennis, the Golf (rights usually owned by Channel 9) and the Swimming and Athletics. Aim to become the Sporting Network – its worked for Channel 7.
- Buy successful international shows. Eg. American Inventor to Australian Inventor.
- Attempt to buy other Channels programs. Or bid on the next season of a popular program that features on a completely different network. (For example, purchase Season 3 of Lost and broadcast it on Nine.)
- To provide a more viewer-friendly network, consider cutting back the amount of ads in order to boost ratings and open up a new timeslot.
- Give shows a chance. How can a fan base establish itself around a show that only airs less then a handful of episodes?
- Attempt to bring back or reinvent old shows. Eg. Hey Hey its Saturday or Young Talent Time. More live shows like Bert Newton and Graham Kennedy prime time programme.
- Invent shows that predominantly target large age groups. (Eg. A new game show for seniors. Or a new early morning cartoon show for School Kids.)
- Lower the amount of Crime/Drama or Medical/Doctor shows. Try some new genres (or other popular shows) in a primetime timeslots. As there are so many Crime, Medical, Lawyer related shows in similar timeslots, the distinctiveness of each show lessens and they all appear to become redundant. (Eg. CSI, CSI:Miama, CSI:NY, Law and Order, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Law and Order: SVU, NCIS, Without a Trace, Cold Case etc.)
- Try something revolutionary – advertise a poll that gives viewers the option of choosing a single program out of a selection of 8. Everyone votes by calling a free call number; the show that acquires the most votes is then played for a whole season on the Nine network. This creates large public interest – creating a feeling of involvement – sure to boost ratings.
