Network 10: The Project survives cuts despite low ratings
As sweeping cuts at Channel 10 saw several high-profile stars dumped yesterday, the network’s decision to keep The Project despite lacklustre ratings has left some industry critics baffled.
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Channel 10 has no plans to scrap The Project, despite lacklustre ratings, leaving critics wondering how the prime time current affairs show survived sweeping cuts at the network.
Last week, both The Project (which airs Monday to Friday) and The Sunday Project attracted less than 400,000 metro viewers during its first half-hour at 6:30pm.
At its lowest point, Friday saw a measly 297,000 metro viewers tune in, with its second half-hour from 7pm jumping to 415,000.
By comparison, The Project was beaten by rival Channel 7 (Seven News at 6:30pm) which had 962,000 people watching and non-news-related Better Homes and Garden at 7pm saw higher ratings (530,000).
Channel 9 (Nine News at 6:30pm) drew in 899,000 and A Current Affair at 7pm had 576,000.
Meanwhile ABC News at 7pm had 781,000 viewers.
A well-placed industry source told Confidential that despite being consistently beaten in the ratings by rival networks, the Waleed Aly-led show is highly regarded by higher-ups.
“The Project is a sacred cow, it cannot be touched. I don’t know what it is about that show but [Ten bosses] love it,” the insider said.
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“Look, they have pulled back on the show’s budget a bit but they won’t touch it, it’s a protected species.
“It doesn’t set the world on fire, look at the ratings. It comes fourth behind ABC News. For all the press and publicity that show gets, it does not rate.”
When asked about the ratings, a Network 10 spokeswoman drew attention to national figures.
“The Project is one of the best performing early evening programs on TV, and has seen continued and consistent audience growth this year,” the spokeswoman said.
“It averages a national audience of 599,000 viewers every night and 712,000 at 7pm and audience has grown 19 per cent since 2019.”
The show, which launched in 2009, features a rotating panel and hosts Aly, Carrie Bickmore, Lisa Wilkinson and Peter Helliar.
While salary details have never been made public, it’s been speculated that some hosts earn up to seven figures to co-host the show a few nights a week.
Earlier this year, Ten program chief Beverley McGarvey vowed to have more consistency on the panel.
“You won’t see the same faces six nights a week but what I would like to have is consistency and familiarity,” McGarvey told The Herald Sun.
It comes after drastic cuts were announced this week at the ViacomCBS-owned Network, specifically at Studio 10.
It’s understood that various factors including Ten’s reported $227 million loss in 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic led to the axing of their high-profile talent – including presenter Kerri-Anne Kennerley, longtime newsreader Natarsha Belling and veteran weatherman Tim Bailey.
Studio 10’s only male co-host Joe Hildebrand is currently in discussions about his future on the show.
“We have only just started discussions with staff and it would be premature to pre-empt the outcome of these discussions. We are in discussions with Joe Hildebrand about his future role,” a Network 10 spokeswoman said.
One industry executive said the cuts at Channel 10 could backfire.
“Basically, they’ve thrown the baby out with the bathwater. They need to go back and look at what makes the show work,” the source said.
“I’ve got a feeling they might be going with Ange [Angela Bishop] and Sarah [Harris] as a duo header like they do on other shows and try to have a point of difference with two women rather than the male and female co-hosts.
“I don’t think that’s the answer. What’s missing from Studio 10 is that it was dynamic, it was something where you didn’t know what was going to happen next. It’s very lame and predictable now and it’s not connecting with audiences.”