Rating battle: Andy Kusnetzoff's 'PH' leads Saturday night TV against Mirtha Legrand

Argentine open television is navigating a period marked by budgetary and creative constraints, resulting in a scarcity of innovative weekend programming. The era of large-scale variety shows with live music or iconic cycles like Tato Bores or Nicolás Repetto's "Sábado Bus" has largely passed.

However, the return of "PH, Podemos Hablar" after a three-year hiatus has revitalized Saturday nights, drawing a larger audience and achieving an average of 9.5 rating points, making it the most-watched program of the day. The show featured guests such as Lizy Tagliani, Evangelina Anderson, Benjamín Vicuña, Pablo Giralt, and Santi Talledo, positioning itself as a meeting point for prominent figures from the political, sports, cultural, and artistic spheres. The program is known for fostering genuine exchanges and delving into personal life stories, blending current affairs with emotional depth.

Meanwhile, Mirtha Legrand's program, "La Noche de Mirtha," continues to vie for audience attention. Her "mesaza" (main table) included guests like Romina Gaetani, Blanca Oteiza, Gastón Edul, and journalist Camila Dolabjián, who discussed the week's key topics. Both "PH, Podemos Hablar" and "La Noche de Mirtha" premiered after 9:30 PM, but with differing initial ratings. Telefe's special "Pasapalabra" program, featuring Pachu Peña, Sebastián Almada, and Rodolfo Samsó against Turco Nahim, Carna, and Flavio Gataldi, secured a baseline of 8.2 rating points, leading its time slot.

In direct competition, "PH, Podemos Hablar" peaked at 9.3 rating points, significantly outperforming "La Noche de ML," which reached 4.3 points. Luis Ventura's "Secretos Verdaderos," focusing on the life of singer La Joaqui after her separation from Luck Ra, garnered a maximum of 2.3 points on América TV. Jey Mammón's program on El Nueve, with guests María Fiorentino, Hilda Lizarazu, Alejo García Pintos, and Iñaki Urlezaga, ranked fourth in its time slot with 0.7 rating points. A notable moment on "La Noche de Mirtha" involved Romina Gaetani addressing allegations of gender-based violence made by her ex-boyfriend, Luis Cavanagh, who claimed to be the victim.