As Sky sets its sights on the ABC, Four Corners exposes hacky News Corp history

Four Corners last night (619,000 nationally) gave us a timely reminder of the continuing hypocrisy of News Corp and the continuing issue of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, which is now exposed as being almost as rife at The Sun, despite years of denial by the Murdoch-owned company and its courtiers.

The Four Corners report on the case of British schoolgirl Milly Dowler, who was abducted and murdered, brought home the utter despair of her family when News of the World phone-hacking appeared to suggest that Milly had been accessing her phone. She wasn’t — Murdoch hacks were doing the hacking illegally after she went missing.

The report might have felt off the pace, but it wasn’t. News Corp’s Sky News is trying to cobble up one of its “special” reports to “celebrate” — in true Sky News fashion — the ABC’s 90th birthday. Bet you can’t wait to see that. 

At least the ABC has the long-running Media Watch (494,000 last night) to hold local media, including the ABC, to account. News Corp has nothing like that, and refuses to hold itself to account.

It was Nine’s night from Seven, Ten and the ABC. Have You Been Paying Attention? on Ten drew 872,000 nationally, MasterChef Australia 800,000 — good figures. Seven’s Big Brother attracted 537,000 (will get 50% or more from BVOD and seven-day viewing), while Nine’s appalling Celebrity Apprentice got 612,000 — it will also pick up viewers on streaming especially.

Network channel share:

1. Nine (27.9%)
2. Seven (24.8%)
3. Ten (23.2%)
4. ABC (17.3%)
5. SBS (6.9%)

Network main channels:

1. Nine (19.8%)
2. Seven (16.7%)
3. Ten (16.5%)
4. ABC (12.7%)
5. SBS ONE (3.7%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

1. 7TWO (3.8%)
2. 10 Peach (13%)
3. 7mate (3.0%)
4. 10 Bold (2.9%)
5. ABC Kids/Plus, Go, Gem (2.2%)

Top 10 national programs:

1. Seven News — 1.581 million
2. Seven News 6.30pm — 1.472 million
3. Nine News — 1.268 million
4. Nine News 6.30pm — 1.247 million
5. A Current Affair (Nine) — 983,000
6. The Chase Australia 5.30pm (Seven) — 921,000
7. 7pm ABC News — 911,000
8. Have You Been Paying Attention? (Ten) — 872,000
9. 7.30 (ABC) — 846,000
10. MasterChef Australia (Ten) — 800,000

Top metro programs: none with a million or more viewers.

Regional top 5: Seven News, 599,000; Seven News 6.30pm, 539,000; The Chase Australia 5.30pm, 362,000; Home and Away, 315,000; Nine News 6.30pm, 310,000.

Losers: slow night — first post-Logies night in three years. No one can handle the excitement.

Metro news and current affairs:

1. Seven News — 982,000
2. Nine News — 960,000
3. Nine News 6.30pm — 937,000
4. Seven News 6.30pm — 931,000
5. ACA (Nine) — 680,000
6. 7pm ABC News — 619,000
7. 7.30 (ABC) — 566,000
8. Australian Story (ABC) — 491,000
9. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 433,000
10. Four Corners (ABC) — 423,000
11. Media Watch (ABC) — 341,000

Morning (national) TV:

1. Sunrise (Seven) — 355,000/201,000
2. Today (Nine) — 317,000/213,000
3. ABC News Breakfast — 255,000/163,000
4. ABC News Mornings — 243,000
5. The Morning Show (Seven) — 203,000
6. Today Extra (Nine) — 167,000
7. Studio 10 (Ten) — 44,000

Top 5 pay TV programs:

1. AFL: 360 (Fox Footy) — 74,000
2. F1: Canada Race (Fox Sports 506), Paul Murray Live (Sky News) 71,000
3. Credlin, The Bolt Report (Sky News) — 52,000