ABC TV’s screening of The Great Global Warming Swindle documentary and the following interview and debate, touched a nerve with Australians with a quarter of last night’s TV viewers tuning in.
The documentary attracted 1.1 million viewers in the five capital cities and the interview between Lateline’s Tony Jones and documentary-maker Martin Durkin and the following discussion with an expert panel attracted 969,000 viewers.
The Director of ABC TV Kim Dalton said: ‘We delivered a truly multi-platform event – it screened on ABC TV, was simulcast on the ABC’s digital channel ABC2 and ABC NewsRadio and ABC on-line. The ABC is the only broadcaster in Australia that can provide this sort of national coverage and across multiple platforms. The Australian public interacted in such huge numbers that our servers went into ‘meltdown’, and figures reflect the enormous interest.’
‘The response from viewers, in this highly competitive time slot starting at 8.30pm, shows how the ABC has identified a major issue that obviously resonates with Australians. The fact that 25% of the audience
were under 40 years demonstrates how important the ABC is to all Australians, young and old.
‘There is no doubt that it is the broadcaster all Australians turn to when they want to engage with an issue of national significance,’ he said.
[release from ABC TV]