Rarely do numbers get so bent out of shape as when TV ratings are involved and networks have something to prove. Witness the conflicting and creatively written statements issued after the Sept. 16 showdown between CTV’s Canadian Idol and the new eps of Joey, The Apprentice and Survivor: Vanuatu on Global. Apparently both networks won. Also, black is now white and we have always been at war with Eurasia.

CTV wasted no time singing the praises of its second Idol season, the two-hour finale of which scored 3.35 million (2+) overall between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., according to BBM, peaking at 4.2 million during the last half-hour. Its overall viewership beats the 2.8 million Survivor fans by 17%, says CTV.

It should be pointed out, however, that the net is comparing its two-hour Idol to just one hour of Survivor, which aired 8-9 p.m. Apples and oranges.

Global, meanwhile, claims it ‘took Thursday night by storm,’ but is hand-picking the proof. The new run of Survivor won by 82% among 18-49s in Toronto, for example, and, if you include the post-Idol 10-11 p.m. slot, Global beat CTV with the same viewers in Toronto and Vancouver. The net goes on to dissect and claim wins in other demographics but neglects to mention the under-18s, the core audience of Idol.

Global also notes that its simulcast of the NBC sitcom Joey did well, playing to 1.3 million (2+) viewers nationwide at 9 p.m. However, those numbers were down by almost half from its debut the previous week.

Kathy Gardner, Global’s VP of integrated media sales, concedes that her net lost to Idol overall, but argues that demos and key markets are more important to advertisers. ‘Buyers are very astute. They understand the numbers. They use those numbers every day,’ she says, noting that 2+ numbers are better suited for ballpark figures. ‘When we go to advertisers or the community we go to specific demographics.’

They monitor Toronto and Vancouver because that’s where the spending power is, she adds.

The bottom line? Global won some key battles but the real fight, for the two-hour Idol slot, went to CTV.