Guardian Sto0ory

ITV1 lost prime time share in January as its new-look schedule bedded in, but Channel 4 was the biggest ratings loser among the five main networks.
There was better news for ITV1 across the day, with the network averaging an audience share of 18.1% between 9.30am and 1am last month, only slightly down from 18.2% in January 2007, according to Barb/Infosys figures seen by MediaGuardian.co.uk.
Channel 4 fell from 10.4% to 8.1% compared with January 2007, or to 8.7% if the new +1 channel is factored in, between 9.30am and 1am. BBC1 went down from 22.3% to 21.6% year on year.
In prime time - between 7pm and 10.30pm - ITV1 suffered a bigger fall in share than BBC1, down from 26% to 24.2%; while BBC1 was down one percentage point from 23.8% to 22.8%.
However, in relative terms Channel 4 took the biggest prime time ratings hit last month - not surprisingly, given the absence of Celebrity Big Brother. Channel 4's share in prime time fell from 10.3% to 8%, or 8.5%, including the +1 service.
These figures suggest that ITV1's daytime programming is propping up the network's overall audience share, while its new look primetime schedule finds its feet, complete with the resurrected News at Ten.BBC2 saw its 9.30am to 1am share fall from 8.7% to 8.3%, compared with January 2007. In prime time the network almost held its own, down from 8.9% to 8.8%.
Channel Five kept prime time share stable at 5.2%. But Five lost half a percentage point between 9.30am and 1am across January, down from 5.4% to 4.9%.
Channel 4's decline stems mainly from losses in the 9pm hour, the berth of the highly controversial Celebrity Big Brother last year.
Share on Mondays to Fridays fell from 16.1% in January 2007 to 12% last month in the 9pm hour, with the network's audience share among 16- to 34-year-olds almost halving from 25.8% to 13.1%.
Closer analysis of the crucial 9pm hour on weekdays shows that, year on year, ITV1 has closed the gap with BBC1, although it is losing out to its chief rival on three nights out of five.
In the past four weeks, ITV1 shows have averaged 4.3 million viewers and an 18% share in the slot, compared with BBC1's 4.4 million, also an 18% share, according to data compiled by MediaGuardian.co.uk.
The comparable period a year ago saw BBC1 average 5.7 million viewers and a 23% share, while ITV1 averaged 4.7 million and 20%.
Some of ITV1's new shows - The Palace on Monday, Ladette to Lady on Tuesday and the pairing of Moving Wallpaper and Echo Beach on Friday - are failing to deliver ratings to match BBC1's shows.
But ITV1 is a thumping winner on Thursday, with returning drama Trial & Retribution averaging nearly double BBC1's Fairy Tales.
Honours are almost even on Wednesday night, when ITV1's new Amanda Redman drama Honest has just about edged out BBC1's offerings, which have varied from live FA Cup football to Crimewatch and a repeat of Mel Gibson film What Women Want.
While BBC1 regularly wins with Mistresses on Tuesday night and New Tricks repeats on Friday, it is suffering in comparison with last year, when Waking the Dead, Judge John Deed and Five Days all fuelled its ratings success.