TELEVISION / Statistics

AS ALL other shows undergo the seasonal summer ratings drop, Wheel of Fortune (ITV Mon) is holding its own remarkably well. While it has stolen a clear march on other game shows, it is performing impressively against the traditional crowd-pullers, the television soaps. Latest statistics give Wheel of Fortune an audience of 11.57 million, which places it fifth in the ITV Top 30: behind Coronation Street but ahead of four of Home and Away's five episodes. The closest gameshow to Wheel of Fortune in the ratings is BBC1's Every Second Counts, which drew an audience of 7.07 million. Being on Channel 4, Countdown is never likely to challenge the ratings of the mainstream channels' programmes, but for a day-time show, its 3.5 million average is impressive, especially considering that it is Channel 4's most- watched show after Brookside.

The pulling power of Linford Christie is again in evidence. The Sunday night athletics programme in which he won his gold medal averaged an audience of 9.2 million, but in the quarter-hour of pre-race, race and post-race, Christie averaged 11.49 million.

Latest figures for channel audience share put ITV on 36.8 per cent, BBC1 on 33.2, BBC2 on 12 and C4 on 10.9.

Figures for week ending 15 Aug.