Bertie trounces Apprentice in the ratings war
MY LIFE: Bertie Ahern show attracted 594,000 viewers
Wednesday November 12 2008
Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is trouncing businessman Bill Cullen, of The Apprentice, in the ratings war.
However, station bosses in Montrose and Ballymount will both be pleased as, combined, both their programmes are attracting almost 900,000 viewers.
Figures for the second instalment of the RTE documentary series on Bertie Ahern showed that 594,000 viewers tuned in -- a 37pc share of viewers.
This was slightly down on the 601,000 figure for the first of Steve Carson and Miriam O'Callaghan's profile of Mr Ahern. "The figures are similar to those of last week. It is very much holding its audience," an RTE spokesperson told the Herald.
Monday's episode charted the time when the coalition under Albert Reynolds collapsed, Bertie took over leadership of the Fianna Fail party and told how he separated from his wife Miriam. The instalment also told of the 'dig-outs' given to Mr Ahern by friends or people known to him.
The four-part series, which was made by Mint Productions, features a number of interviews with those close to Mr Ahern, including Miriam Ahern, his daughters Georgina and Cecelia, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and political colleagues such as Michael Martin and Charlie McCreevy.
Next week's programme will recall Mr Ahern's time in opposition and his protracted negotiations for the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
TV3's The Apprentice, which stars Bill Cullen, is pulling in 300,000 viewers and attracted a peak of 402,000 fans during last Monday's episode.
Station chiefs in Ballymount are delighted with the performance of The Apprentice, given it is up against strong competition on RTE with Bertie and the Nine O'Clock News.
As The Apprentice draws to its conclusion it is attracting more viewers.
Monday night's episode, which saw Paddy O'Dea get the boot, attracted its highest average rating yet -- something that is expected to be repeated over the five-week lead-up to Cullen unveiling his chosen one.
An interactive website and the publicity generated by the contestants on the programme has meant that TV3's latest offering, which was produced by Screentime Shinawil, is never too far from the headlines.
With the Bertie documentary finishing in two weeks, The Apprentice could enjoy a clear run for viewers' attentions for its conclusion.
- Jane Last
