Rants

Another year, another Australian Open, another delayed broadcast to those not on Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time.

At least for 2011, there is one positive – the fact that matches can be moved to 7TWO when they go past 6pm. In 2010, there was an absolute uproar when matches between high profile players were cut off in favour for airing the 6pm news on time.

Every year, there is an uproar from viewers in time zones outside of AEDT about the fact that the evening sessions are not shown live. Seven chooses to air the evening sessions at 7pm in all markets, regardless of time zone. It means that Seven News at Today Tonight remain at 6-7pm each weeknight, and Home and Away at 7pm in the second week of the Australian Open.

But in this day and age of live blogging, live results online, twitter, and 24 hour news services, having live sport on delay – especially for such a major event no longer makes sense.

The arguments the network provides suggesting that viewers would prefer to be able to watch evening matches when they get home is diminishing in merit by the day. If you consider WA for example – one could be on their way home from work at 6pm, only to stumble upon a live result of a game in progress online.

Considering, 6pm in WA is 9pm AEDT, matches are well underway, or even completed by the time people get home. Its all too easy to see the result in the meantime – what good is it watching a game on delay if you know the outcome?

If viewers would like to watch a game later, it should be up to the viewer to chose to do so and then manage their own avoidance of internet or media in order not to know a result. The games should all be shown live, and should one decide to, one can simply record the event to watch in their own time.

Based on comments and reactions to people in online forums and sites that cover the subject, there are more who would like to see all tennis live than those who prefer to have it on delay. People in WA are especially frustrated about the lack of live events over there. Seems just about everything is on delay from the east.

We understand that ratings only count from 6pm, and that Seven would prefer to show the tennis after the news and TT, but as people get their results from elsewhere, ratings will simply diminish.

Sooner or later, they are going to have to give in, and air the tennis live to all markets – including WA.

Here are some ideas and different scenarios to consider.

1. Tennis live into all markets regardless of time zone, news moves times to accommodate. The 6pm News ends up airing at 5pm in QLD, 5.30pm in SA. In WA, they fit in the news later – say 7pm maybe – as 3pm would be too early for nightly news. Any tennis still playing during the news goes to 7TWO – as they are already doing. TT remains after the news. Home and Away does not return until after the tennis, to avoid having it on at different times in different markets to fit around the live tennis.

2. Tennis live into all markets, but 6pm news and TT remains at 6pm and 6.30pm respectively in each local market. During this time, any tennis played airs on 7TWO, with coverage continuing on Seven from 7pm. In the case of WA, if they reached a crucial point in a match at 6.30pm local time, they could put coverage back onto Seven and delay TT, or replay it delayed later, after being on 7TWO.

For the benefit of those who do not yet have digital TV (come on, what are you waiting for?), when live tennis continues at 7pm local time, they simply highlight what has happened in the last hour – similar to what Nine do with the cricket (and in fact, Nine should be doing the same with live cricket – playing it on GEM during the news at ACA, then returning from 7pm so noone misses out).

3. Delayed on Seven, live on 7TWO. Or better yet – live in HD on 7mate, delayed on Seven. This scenario means that tennis ends up on two channels in markets not on AEDT. It means that the digital channel has normal or alternative programming only in live markets. It also would result in a drop of audience for the network overall, due to the fact that two channels are taken up airing the same thing, even if at different times.

I really don’t see the point of having it live on one channel and delayed on another, unless one is in HD. It should be up to each person to decide if they would to delay the event by their own means.

The fact that the tennis is not in HD though is another subject. If it was aired in HD, then it would take over 7mate programming. While nothing on 7mate is actually in HD, 7mate does occupy Seven’s HD channel.

It is a shame, that in 2011, we not only do not get some of our major sporting events live into all markets, but we also do not get them in HD – despite the fact they captured in HD with HD cameras, and sent out to markets outside of Australia in HD. The cricket on Nine is classic example, Seven’s Tennis is now suffering the same issue.

To me, the best solution is that tennis is shown live in HD from day start to days end, with perhaps a highlights package at the end of the day. On Fox Sports, they show numerous matches live and in HD (where possible) to all markets, and play others they were not able to show live, or replay.

Having Seven’s tennis live in HD on 7mate would mean no 7mate programming for two weeks, but it would also mean fans can see in HD. Then, and in accordance to anti-siphoning laws, Seven’s main channel shows the minimum amount of tennis they need to – which would most likely include the full day’s play anyway, other than breaking for the news at 6pm – and then they can promote the fact it is in HD on 7mate.

Having the tennis live on 7mate would also mean Seven could choose to delay evenings on their main channel if they really wanted to. Best of both worlds, a win-win – we get it live, we get it in HD, it is also delayed for those who want to want later. Only if on a HD channel, does it make sense to broadcast live on one channel, and delayed on another.

It’s 2011. Sport should always be LIVE to all markets, and in HD.

It is just a shame that the drive for more channels has all but killed off HD TV in Australia for now. It’s a shame we still have delayed sport on free to air TV in this day and age.

Every time I look at one of the programs for one of the now five general entertainment digital channels we have, I cannot help wishing that they would stop concentrating all of their key shows within prime time of 6pm – 12 midnight nightly, leaving the remaining 18 hours of the day filled with old movies, old TV shows, Home Shopping or other programming few people care about.

Sometimes it seems that, when flicking through the digital channels during the day, you are in a time warp performing a TV channel surf from the 80’s when you look at what is on 7mate, GEM and ELEVEN.

Yet at night time, there is the risk of there actually being too many choices meaning many viewers will miss out on watching shows they would have actually liked to watch due to recording or viewing conflicts. Add to that the fact that start and finish times different on every channel, and chances are, unless you have the ability to record unlimited shows at once, you will be left with having to let go of shows you may have liked to watch* (see end of post for classic recording conflict example).

These general entertainment digital channels may be enjoying unprecedented success now in summer, with the main channels in summer non ratings mode, but as soon as the new and premium content returns in February, the digitals will again be deserted, leaving many first run shows on digital channels with ratings lower than what they deserve.

Obviously, programming for prime time is to maximise ratings for the only time of the day ratings count for anything: 6pm – midnight. But while this time accounts for most people’s TV viewing, it is not the only time many of us watch TV.

The solution to the problem is to repeat first run prime time content on digital channels later at night or during the following day, classification permitting. This allows the viewer to catch a show they may not have been able to, or even bothered to, during prime time due to conflicts with other shows. Only GO! and GEM seem to do this for some shows**.

GO! – so far Australia’s number one multi channel – does repeat its prime time content outside of prime time thereby giving viewers an alternative time to watch or record the shows they want to watch, and avoiding prime time conflicts. Looking at The Vampire Diaries on GO! as an example, usually around 150,000 watch its first run at 8.30pm Monday nights (it‘s back Jan 31), another 100,000 watch the late night encore either live or via a recording***.

While this does result in the viewer watching the repeat or encore outside of prime time, it can in fact have the effect of luring the viewer into the shows – especially if it is new – meaning they may chose it over their other choice to watch in prime time. Therefore there is a potential ratings benefit to repeating or encoring digital channel prime time shows outside of prime time.

This reasoning is exactly why the networks encore new showed aired on their main channel. Problem is, they only do so for the first few weeks, and generally, do not tell us when the encore will be on. Their aim is to have us all watching when the show first airs. There have been a few exceptions in 2010, most notable The Block 2010 and Survivor Nicaragua on Nine, The X Factor on Seven encored on 7TWO.

But now with so many free to air channels – in fact more then there were Pay TV channels when Pay TV started out in 1995 – the networks have to become more flexible with programming in order to help protect and build their new multi channel brands. They have to program outside of 6pm – midnight with repeats or encores of first run content to ensure viewers will still remain interested in these channels once the main channels are back in full ratings season swing.

They have to consider start and finishing times of shows to allow viewers to make the choice or to program their PVRs effectively. It is no good for example, having a show start on 7TWO at 8.30, still being advertised as “coming up next on 7TWO” on a 7.30 show on Seven still running at 8.37!

If they don’t, viewers will simply look at the schedules for the multi channels thinking “yeah – I’d like to watch that … but I can’t – it’s on the same time as …” or “when is it on again? – do I have to wait six months for a repeat – or will they repeat it…?” or “maybe it‘ll be on Pay TV as well later?”. Not everything has a catch up online. Not everyone even wants to go online to catch up on what they missed on TV.

In conclusion, the free to air space has to evolve to make the most of multi channelling. It has to think outside the space of prime time when ratings count and program for the other 18 hours of the day. It needs to consider the viewer more than it does now. It needs to look at Pay TV as an example of how to handle multi channelling.

I can assure you, Pay TV would not be anywhere today if it did not give viewers the options it does now.

Yes, we have more free to air channels than ever before, but what use is that if all these channels have their best content on all at the same time, with nothing else to watch at other times?

* I remember one night during ratings, I was recording a show on Ten at 7.30 and another on Seven at 7.30. At the same time, also watching something else. Then at 8.30, I wanted to record a show on ABC1 as well as another on Nine. At 9.30, a show on Ten, another on GO! Two shows at the same time, different channels. In theory, any twin tuner PVR should handle it right?

No. The 7.30 show on Seven updated to finish at 8.37. Ten’s 8.39. Meanwhile, the 8.30 show on Nine was to start at 8.33, while the show on ABC1 had 8.35 as a start time. That meant the PVR would had to have been recording three channels at once from 8.33 – 8.35, then four at once 8.35 – 8.37, three at once again 8.37 – 8.39, then back to two at once after 8.39.

At 9.30, The GO! show started at 9.29 – but because there was a repeat at 1am, I simply moved it there to record. The show on ABC1 finished at 9.35, the show on Nine 9.33. Ten started 9.37 – as I was able to move the GO! show to 1am, no conflicts at the 9.30 change over.

But with the 8.30 change over – I had to decide what I could miss out on and manually program around all the different start and finish times. It meant, for both 8.30 shows I missed the first 4 minutes or so. All while I was watching something else already recorded from earlier – so choosing to watch one live was not an option.

Yes, the networks, in having shows finishing late hope people miss out on the start of other shows on other channels. But – if the show you missed the first few minutes of is better than the one that finishes late – what are you going to do? You will either abandon the first one altogether or not care about the last few minutes of the show. The late finishing times can go either way.

The following week, when faced with the same problem, I did indeed drop one of the 7.30 shows as the 8.30 shows were better. Had they have finished on time, and allowed better planning for recording or watching other channels, I would have stuck with all shows.

** An even better solution to the whole problem is that ratings should count for all 24 hours of the day. That would guarantee more quality programming outside of prime time on free to air channels. This, however, is another discussion for another day!

*** OzTam five city figures, live, as live and consolidated.

Nine went into overdrive on New Years’ Eve with the amount of self promotion they threw at those of us watching or playing back later the 9pm and 12 midnight fireworks.

The 9pm fireworks alone had two Nine’s ads promoting the network’s line up in 2011 between 8.40 and 9.00 in addition to an interview with one of the stars of Rescue Special Ops where we found out what her and her character’s New Year’s resolutions were. The 3rd season Rescue Special Ops won’t even be on air until mid-year.

Their coverage for the midnight fireworks provided even more reminders of the shows Nine hope we will be watching on their network in 2011. Again self promotion ads went into overdrive in the lead up to the main event at midnight.

We all know the networks have to promote what they have to offer, but seeing so many ads for the same shows over and over risks making the audience sick of shows before they even air. When it comes to Nine, they are notorious for overdoing self promotion to point where it is more of a turn off.

As for Nine saying what they are the “Home of” in every ad, it just re-inforces the fact that the network is the home of “self promotion” before anything else.

So, another season of The Amazing Race concluded last night on Seven. Well done to Nat and Kat, the first all girl team to win the $1,000,000 prize. The TV hosts in second place were also an all girl team.

Sadly though, as I sat down to watch The Amazing Race last night, I already knew who won it. Not because I had looked it up, or been spending time on US TV web sites, but because some inconsiderate person posted the winner in a comment on Throng a few days ago.

As a major contributor to the Throng web site, I also moderate comments, un-publishing any that are offensive, that are trying to promote other web sites, are unrelated to our web site and any that are considered spoilers giving away winners or significant information about shows yet to air in Australia that have aired overseas.

Naturally, I took down the comment of who had won the Amazing Race immediately – but obviously, for me, the damage was done.

The rules here, like any other Australian TV web site, are simple. If a show has aired in Australia, then it is OK to comment on the show – even if it has not yet aired in WA where they are currently 3 hours behind. It is OK to congratulate the winners, discuss the plot, what ever you see fit – so long as it has aired in Australia.

If it has not aired in Australia – whether we are a a few hours behind, a few days behind or a few months behind as is often the case – then discussion on such a show is a no-go zone. It is unfair to those who enjoy visiting the site that do not wish to know in advance outcomes of shows yet to air.

Those who chose to watch shows “by other means” before they air in Australia or visitors to Throng from outside of Australia should keep spoilers to themselves – do not put any such information into a comment on any post on Throng. Anyone who wants to know who won the Amazing Race or Survivor or any similar show before it airs in Australia can easily do so – there are plenty of sites in the US where you can find out or even engage in discussion. Twitter at times will give it away when you see topics trending as these shows air in the US.

Here, if you know before it airs in Australia, keep it to yourself – please. Show some respect for fellow readers who don’t want to know, and don’t want to stumble upon this sort of information while browsing around Throng.

Some of these people will even go to great lengths to avoid certain overseas web sites just so they don’t stumble upon the information – so putting it under their noses in comments on Throng is downright disrespectful.　

GO! are at it again mixing up their schedule like a summer cocktail.

This time, the victims are Tuesday and Thursday nights. Both nights now have endured their third change – and its only the third week of summer TV we are about to head into. I have already detailed these changes in the GO! Guide, so you can click here to see what they have done now.

I felt it time though to comment (again) on the number of Two and a Half Men episodes lurking around the schedules of GO and Nine at the moment – some of them are in timeslots that simply don’t make sense.

If you are a fan of the show, there are almost too many episodes to keep up with – and then you risk catching that one that you have seen more than any other at the times when you eventually catch up with the show. The same can be said about The Big Bang Theory although the number of instances of Big Bang have reduced now.

For me, “that” episode of Big Bang that I end up seeing more than any other is when that 15 year old genious gets on Sheldon’s nerves. Having not seen all the episodes yet, I do try and catch Big Bang but – even though I am privy to programming information from Nine and GO – struggle to keep up with when it is on, and what episodes I should be watching and on what channel. Then there is the issue of conflicts when they move nights (although this is nowhere near as bad a problem in summer as it was during ratings season).

Why not play them all, from the start, in order, two episodes a week, in the same timeslot* until they catch up to the last new ones aired? Stable programming and routines are the key to maintaining and building a show’s audience and loyalty. Yes, Big Bang rates well, but imagine how well it could do if on at the same time every week on the same night? Nine or GO? Not both.

Which brings me back to Two and a Half Men.

Two and a Half Men is on 7pm weeknights on Nine until Funniest Home Videos takes over from Dec 21. It is also on at 7.30pm Monday and 7.30pm Wednesday. When Warnie is not on, it also appears at 8.40 and 9.10 Thursday. That’s 9 times in one week on Nine alone.

Then there is GO. 7.30 Sunday, 8.00 Sunday, 10.30 Monday (will come back to this one in a minute…), now 11.30pm Tuesday as well. And there is even one on at 11.30pm Wed Dec 22 as well.

4 or 5 times a week on GO. 9 on Nine. 13 in total. If that is not overkill, what is? No wonder ratings for actual episodes are now sliding.

Now – back to 10.30pm Monday for Two and a Half Men. What are they thinking with that one? In between Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl? Every time is see that Two and a Half Men is after Pretty Little Liars I struggle to understand the logic! GO would have a perfect Monday night for the audience that are into shows like Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl if they didn’t interrupt the night with Two and a Half Men.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the typical audience for Two and a Half Men is NOTHING like the typical audience for Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl and The Vampire Diaries?

Surely that Two and a Half Men on Monday night does not really need to be there. It is the same episode they play on Nine at 7.30pm in any case. Or maybe move it to 11.30, and have Gossip Girl at 10.30. It just seems soooo out of place.

* The Comedy Channel is playing The Big Bang Theory from the start at 6.30pm Sundays in double episodes. That is followed by Modern Family from the start. Both started from Dec 5.

There has got to be some rule about last minute programming changes.

When I say last minute, I mean those that affect programming within a few days or even up to a week from the day the programming change or amendment is issued.

Three recent examples of last minute programming changes come to mind that emphasise why there needs to be a rule in place to govern them.

1. Last week. GO decides to completely change their Thursday night line up. They do so on the Wednesday. The new changes mean that two episodes of Big Bang Theory air from 7.30 and a movie from 8.30. Programming replaced includes a repeats of Wipeout USA and Seinfeld, as well as first run Nikita at 9.30. At the same time, GO changes Friday night to include four episodes of The Big Bang Theory. No reason for the changes, other than to use Big Bang to help lift ratings for GO. EPGs were updated in time.

2. Last Friday, around 3pm. Seven issues an amendment that sees new travel show High Road, Low Road replaced with episode of Medical Emergency. The change takes effect immediately, meaning that High Road, Low Road for the following Saturday Dec 4, 7pm, was not to air. The EPGs for Seven Sydney and Prime Newcastle were updated, but the EPG that Foxtel had for Seven was not. Confusion reigns amongst viewers as to what will be on Seven at 7pm that night.

3. Today. Cricket finishes early. So Nine restores normal programming. Fair enough – there should always be back up programming when live sport like cricket cannot be shown. BUT – the normal programming also included the next episode of Days of Our Lives. The next episode was not due to air until the next day – tomorrow. Fans of the show (and fans of Days can be fanatical!) would not possibly have known that the episode would have been on today unless they were already watching the cricket on Nine and saw that it finished early.

Many fans of Days of Our Lives who may record it while they are at work will be surprised to see, that when they watch the episode tomorrow, they will have completely missed one – because they would NOT HAVE KNOWN one was aired instead of the cricket. How possibly would they be able to find out?

At least fans of The View and Ellen get them on GEM (or Pay TV) – but putting an episode of a serial soapie on without fans knowing is crazy. Surely Nine could have put something else at 2pm? It’s just for one day. Maybe a fan of the show can tell us what they think of Nine airing the next episode rather than waiting for when it was scheduled.

In all of these example, users of printed TV guides would have been left in the dark completely.

So here are some rules I have though of that should govern last minute programming changes.

No programming changes should ever be made for less than 7 days in advance without good reason. Allowable reasons for last minute programming changes include:

1. Live sport finishes late. All subsequent programming should then play as close to its scheduled time as possible. If the sport overrun completely takes over the full length of a show that was to follow, then that show just is not seen at all.

2. Live sport finishes early or is not played: There has to be back up programming available – but the back up programming should not include a first run serialised show where viewers who are not aware of the sport not being shown will miss out on an episode and therefore potentially important parts of the plot. Back up programming should be chosen in such a way that those unaware are not missing out on anything significant. Also – if live sport finishes early, subsquent programming CANNOT be allowed to start ealry. FIll in programming must be inserted.

3. Big news day / extended news: Same rules for late running sport in point 1.

4. Big news day – Special: Networks are able to air a special at the last minute based on the events of the day should the importance warrant it. Examples include the recent royal wedding announcement, natural disaster specials and the like. The special should replace the program scheduled at the time it goes to air, while all other programming remains at its normal time.

5. Tributes. Often when a well known actor passes away, networks will opt to show tribute movies or specials. This is both fair enough and expected by the audience. Leslie Nielsen, of course, is a recent example of this.

6. Sudden removal of offensive program. A network may opt to remove a program at the last minute if it is deemed unsuitable to air or offensive. Although – these sorts of decisions should be made well before the seven day no change deadline.

7. Technical issues. In this day and age, technical issues hardly ever prevent programming going to air, but in the event issues arise, networks have to adjust around them accordingly. But they also should inform viewers as to what has happened using announcements or on screen messages. This seems to have happened to Gem the other day with an episode of Law and Order becoming a different episode ten minutes in.

8. Any subsequent programming that may be affected by the above points – such as serialised programs – is allowed to be adjusted accordingly. Sometimes, double episodes of a nightly show may air the next day following a big news day that prevented an episode from being aired. Often happens with Home and Away on Seven due to AFL games or extended news coverage.

Adherence to these sorts of guidelines would reduce viewer confusion and help stable programming schedules to be maintained. Viewers would not feel like they are being hard done by as a result of changes. The majority of last minute changes are for the sole purpose of trying to improve ratings. While share holders and advertisers may understand and accept that point, the average viewer does not – and at the end of the day, it is these very viewers that watch TV and chose to spend money with advertisers they are introduced to. Make too many changes, mess too much with the viewers, and they will start tuning out.

TV is like any business – the viewers are the customers that drive their income via ratings and advertisers paying for time based on those ratings. Once you lose a viewer or customer, it is very, very hard to get them back. In an era where we have more TV and entertainment options than ever before – shouldn’t there be more consideration for the viewer now? Not less?

One seriously has to wonder what goes through the minds of anyone who thinks it necessary to rebrand household name.  I mean, seriously.  Putting an Armani on a corpse and splashing some cologne around isn’t going to change the fact that the decay has well and truly set in.

Every time we reach non-ratings period for TV, I always ask why? Who does it benefit? Why have these vast tracts of time that are devoid of quality content? Yes, people watch less TV over summer, and are more prone to spend more time outdoors until later at night – especially if you have daylight saving, but people do still watch TV during summer.

Seven, Nine and Ten fill their schedules with repeats and shows that generally don’t cut it during ratings weeks. The big contradiction of the idea of non-ratings is that these three networks will still adjust their schedules and react to shows that rate poorly. Ten last year replaced Stargate Universe and Supernatural with movies for example.

During this time, both ABC and SBS continue to provide a similar level of quality of programming as they have all year. Pay TV launches a number of new shows over summer to attract viewers to them and capitalise on the lower quality content on the commercial networks. Pay TV shares increase over summer as a result.

Just about everyone has their opinion on Summer TV. There are arguments for and against the idea on both sides. But, however you read into it, the viewers get the raw end of the deal.

Looking at both sides of the argument of Summer TV, here’s a list of pros and cons I have come up with. Feel free to tell us your thoughts as well.

Pros.

- The television industry essentially gets a break where they no longer have to focus on ratings and can work on other projects

- Having 12 weeks* of non-ratings saves money in the sense that TV networks do not have to spend the same level of money on content over summer

- The break gives people the chance to do things other than watch or care about TV – people’s routines tend to be different in any case during summer

- Summer TV allows networks to experiment with shows they deem risky otherwise.

- It would cost the networks a lot more each year to either produce or acquire content to fill 52 weeks a year and possibly drive up the cost of advertising

- Stretching seasons of shows into summer could possibly reduce the quality of TV in winter when more people are actually watching TV. There is a risk of poorer programming more often and spread over the year rather than just concentrated during non-ratings** – therefore non-ratings helps keep better programming for the middle of the year when more people are there to watch TV

Cons

- Viewers are left with very poor viewing options – especially those without Pay TV or who do not yet have digital free to air

- Less people watch TV so less revenue for TV networks.

- Viewers look elsewhere for quality TV and end up with Pay TV or hiring DVDs/Blurays.

- Advertisers lose out as less people see their ads during these times

- No other industry (other than schools) has this amount of time off or in holiday mode

- TV is big business, so any extra cost in producing / acquiring quality content for 52 weeks of the year would be both affordable, and offset by increased advertising revenue

- During non-ratings, viewers can become disillusioned with free to air TV and any benefit gained by promoting “more channels for free” is quickly lost when people start thinking “14 or 15 channels and nothing to watch on any of them”

Non-ratings anomalies

- In what must be the ultimate contradiction, ratings results are still counted and issued on a daily basis

- Networks still react to these figures as they are important to their earning potential (although they do all stop sending out daily reports talking up their previous night’s figures).

- Networks still make programming amendments to help optimise their ratings potential

- Programming worth watching still rates through the roof. The 6pm news and the subsequent current affairs shows are still amongst the most watched shows on Seven and Nine.

My thoughts

- If we must have non-ratings why not just the two weeks that surround Christmas and New Year – the same as most industries?

- Maybe in summer, programming could be shifted later to take full advantage of extra daylight and the shift in people’s habits? News at 7.30pm? Prime programming 8.30 – 10.30?

- While I believe too many shows are repeated, I think the idea of encores*** could overcome the problem of viewers missing shows they may have watched but were not able to due to doing other activities or conflicts. An encore could be screened later night on a digital channel, or next day even – sort of like what GO and GEM do now but taking it a step further with the main channels as well. It also avoids conflicts and allows more viewers to be exposed to a show. This, however, is a subject to go in depth with another time.

* 10 weeks over summer, two over Easter. Total 12 per year.

** Both Seven and Nine and aired more repeats than ever before in 2010 during the main ratings season – this can be attributed mostly to the effect of filling content on their multi channels.

*** Encores are repeats but I define an encore as an episode of a show being repeated before its NEXT episode airs. Foxtel tend to do this many times a week with most of their shows which allows viewers to avoid prime time conflicts with free to air prime time viewing. A repeat on the other had, is not seen for months and who is ever going to try and remember which episode they missed so they can catch it again in repeats?

All your favourite shows for the year have finished. Large chunks of TV schedules for the three commercial main channels have transformed into almost unrecognisable lists of shows. Just about everything on is a repeat. New shows a few and far between – except on Pay TV, ABC and SBS.

To me, if you have seen a show, you have seen it. I have never understood watching repeats of procedural shows like Bones, The Mentalist, Criminal Minds, City Homicide, Rescue Special Ops and the like as you already know what the outcome is going to be. You already know the twist or who the baddie is or whose bones were found.

There are some sitcoms you can watch more than once, but it depends on how well written the show is. A well written sitcom can be watched many times as one picks up stuff they may not have first time round. But – again – for the most part, a repeat is a repeat – you already know the jokes, you know what is going to happen, you know the story.

Same goes for movies. A great movie people will watch more than once, but others, no need to see again. To me, a repeat is something you don’t necessarily go out of your way to watch. A repeat you may have on in the background while doing something else. Whereas first run TV you may pay attention to and sit down and watch.

So as a result, when we hit summer non-ratings, less and less of Seven, Nine and Ten end up being watched. More attention turns to what is on Foxtel, ABC and SBS – who all still have first run content. There are a few first run shows on Seven, Nine and Ten, but only those that either do not do well during ratings or the networks thought would not do well and were not worth the risk.

Nine has Chase on Sunday nights, Better with You on Wednesdays. Seven has Outlaw while the Event has one more episode to go. Plus all those factuals – yes – they are first run but half are from NZ and others just didn’t cut it during the year. Ten has season two of White Collar on Wednesday night, and Rules of Engagement on Sunday nights. White Collar I look forward to – as for Rules of Engagement, I am not sure why it still airs on Ten as it rates so low. Rush and Neighbours defy the commercial trend and continue for a few weeks yet.

There is one commercial channel that delivers more first run content than any other – that is GO! The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars, Fringe, Nikita and new eps of Community to name a few. Yes, GO does have repeats throughout its schedule as well, but the number of new shows leave the main channels for dead. Any wonder it is the number one multi channel in Australia.

As for the other multi channels, 7TWO, there are plenty of first run lifestyle programs, a few movies not shown before on free to air, Jonathon Creek, Benidorm and Not Going Out. 7mate has Gene Simmons Family Jewels, Whacked out Sports, Australia Smashes Guiness World Records, The Shield, Punk’d, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and a number of its documentaries – actually, probably more of these shows are first run than GO – BUT – many have already been on Pay TV – especially the docos.

And finally GEM needs a mention. First run content on Gem includes Conan four nights a week, Southland, The Big C, Weeds, Rizolli and Isles, The Closer and Hotel Babylon. Let’s not forget Wild Caribbean and David Attenborough’s Life of Mammals on the weekends.

So there is definitely first run content around the free to air commercials if you look for it – the main difference now, is that it is spread over many channels. Having to spread content over multiple channels stretches what the networks can offer on each channel – this is the main reason there ends up being so many more repeats on the main channels.

Before the digital channels arrived, some of those shows seen on the digitals would have been seen on the main channels or not at all.

The official response from Nine / GEM as to why there will not be HD simulcasts of cricket is as follows:

“Our reason for launching GEM was to offer more choice to our viewers. In airing other programs on GEM while the cricket is on we give those viewers who don’t enjoy the cricket other viewing options.”*

If their reasoning is to give viewers more options, then what about giving viewers more options between 5.30am an 9am when GEM provides a HD simulcast of Today – also seen on Nine?

AND – how about giving us at least one viewing option between 2am and 4am weekdays on one of Nine’s channels instead of Home Shopping? All three of them – Nine, GO and GEM have Home Shopping on at that time.

* From GEM Facebook Page. The same comment almost word for word was re-iterated by a source at Nine.