Don't mention the war
The Melbourne Age September 13 2002
By David Dale
The first anniversary of the September 11 attacks generated a ratings bonanza for Channel Ten, which did not show any programs on the subject.
Across the mainland capitals, audiences for The Simpsons, Search for a Supermodel and Law and Order: Criminal Intent were each up by more than 200,000 on the previous week.
This does not mean that all Australians were using light entertainment to distract themselves from a horrific memory. Between 8.30pm and 10.30pm, Channel Seven's documentary, 9/11, attracted two million viewers, 300,000 more than Seven usually attracts to Blue Heelers at that time.
But a lot of regular viewers apparently turned off their sets in response to the decision by Nine, Seven and the ABC to fill their prime-time schedules with September 11 material.
The total TV audience between 8.30pm and 9.30pm was down half a million on the 4.5 million who were watching TV in the mainland capitals on the previous Wednesday.