SIX O'CLOCK SWILL

This needs to go on the record:

Does anyone suspect that, come Jan 1 2011, Nine will not use their digital channel to broadcast the cricket when the News starts? News is a crucial driver for the networks' promotion, as they routinely trumpet the six o'clock to seven o'clock figures. Why are they going to offer up a rolled gold opportunity for viewers to watch something else? Do the networks want to go from saying "We got 1,000,000 viewers on Sunday at six" to "We got 800,000 on Nine and 200,000 on Go"? As always with TV stations, I am skeptical.

Comments

[TKYC (charge, leave it, BOWLED... you tool!)]

Luckily, that famous-for-nice-weather-city Sydney has a rain band run through, which negated the need for such a perilous decision.

[Tony]

Interesting to see what happens if they go past 6:00 tonight to make up for yesterday. Not sure about the regs, but.

[Tony]

Needless to say, but I'll say anyway, I agree with Richard Hinds:

Seven serves up a winning coverage

Through good fortune and, you suspect, canny scheduling, Seven has not (at the time of writing) been forced to switch any games to its digital channel because of a clash with news commitments, a power granted the network by the communications department on the eve of the tournament. So we might have to wait to find out whether the networks really want this power or are more concerned about losing news and current-affairs viewers.

[David Barry]

They still delay the coverage into Queensland for the evening session, so as not to lose their precious Today Tonight and Home and Away viewers.

[Tony]

And the cricket still gets dumped at Six. Here is how Slatts got slimey on Sunday:

"Qld viewers leave us now for Nine News. Join us in half an hour for the prime time run chase."

Wonder how long the Nine spinners sat around thinking up "prime time run chase" as a way of buttering up the audience they were about to shaft? "Don't worry that we are bailing for the News. We'll be back soon, better than ever!" I will be staggered if Nine ever use digital back up for the cricket when the News starts.

[Tony]

Oh, and they delay the game by three hours into Perth, which strikes me as about the most wicked, wanton vandalism (chuck in self-serving) on the Australian sporting landscape. If ever a broadcast screamed for digital back up, it's one day cricket from the eastern states into Perth.