How X Factor sneaked 200,000 more viewers
There has always been a dark art to ensuring your programmes rate as well as they possibly can.
That’s why the viewer may think they are watching one show, but the ratings the next day reveal that they were actually watching two – for instance, a final show followed by a winner announcement show.
That way, the average audience for the exciting bit – which is inevitably higher – has a chance of making the top 40 shows of the year.
Ten does it, with shows such as Masterchef; Nine even did it last night with The Block.
If they had it in the TV guide before it went to air and promoted it as such … sounds fair. If they waited until the overnight ratings were in and then ‘created’ this nine-minute programme then that is “cooking the books”.