But the ratings are a problem. Last year Nine completed 100 weeks as the undisputed ratings winner. Steve Allen has had 30 years experience in the industry. I would think so far, it would only be in the millions, it might be five or six million so far. Well, remember what we're dealing with.
Television is a high fixed-overhead business.
You know, they've basically prepaid for all their programming, basically, for the year. They can't alter those overheads. Any difference in ratings will ultimately mean a difference, good or bad, in revenue, and that directly affects the bottom line. But not everyone is convinced. Zenith Media's Peter Cornelius says the general state of the economy is as much a problem as ratings, with the amount of money advertisers have been willing to spend, down by as much as 10 per cent already this year.