Peter Overton’s Little Engine Breaks Down

Reet reet reet! Three Day Old Newsdesk™ here with a report I should have filed on Friday!

Considering our ongoing coverage of the Channel Nine Newsreader Musical Chairs, it was very wrong of me not to have mentioned this article about Peter Overton’s Little Engine That Could running out of steam as it approached a hill.

Still the one? Try fourth, with Channel 9’s new-look 6pm news last in the battle of the TV bulletins. The disastrous ratings result had new host Peter Overton finish behind rivals Seven, Ten and the ABC on Wednesday night.

With the decision to switch presenters, viewers have switched channels in record numbers. Channel 7 extended its lead over its direct opposition, scoring 383,000 viewers in Sydney to Nine’s dismal 241,000.

By comparison, Ferguson’s final bulletin last Friday night had the gap with Channel 7 at just 30,000. But it’s now 142,000.

The MediaWeek newsletter last week contained some insights as to why Channel Nine’s news ratings suck hard.

Fusions Strategy’s Steve Allen said the move of replacing Mark Ferguson with Overton “has not paid the dividends Nine hoped for”. Allen added that what “has to be done on Nine News is now starkly clear – it ain’t a personality/host change”. When looking around the Nine Network stations, Allen said the “culprit” at TCN9 was Nine’s 5.30pm program Antiques Roadshow which he said is “simply not delivering”.

In any case, we can sum up the whole thing with the following picture.

MORE:

Peter Overton is bad new for Channel Nine’s ratings
Mark Ferguson’s Newsreading Career Takes A Turn For The ‘Deliverance’ (Defamer Australia)
Peter Overton Taking ‘The Little Engine That Could’ Approach To His New Job (Defamer Australia)
Gloves Off: Mark Ferguson Is Toasting Peter Overton’s Recent Career Successes With Haterade! (Defamer Australia)