The Celebrity Apprentice again paid dividends for Nine (Image: Nine Network)

Nine edged out its fierce rival Seven on Wednesday night, with a strong performance from The Celebrity Apprentice.

Nine codes the programme separately for OzTAM data, allowing the 7:00pm version to be rated singularly and separately from its challenges and firings episodes.

This paid dividends with the overnight challenge rating number one for the night with 1.252 million viewers and the daily show ranking eighth with 974,000 viewers.

ABC1's Gruen Planet was the second most popular programme overnight with 1.180m viewers. Spicks and Specks was close behind in fifth with 1.110m, while The Hamster Wheel placed ninth on 876,000 viewers.

Seven News and Today Tonight were the winners of the 6:00-7:00pm news and current affairs battle, with Nine News winning Melbourne (352,000 to Seven's 291,000).

Ten's The Project could only manage 525,000 viewers and must be causing some angst within management. Glee was Ten's top performer on 660,000 viewers (and 15th place).

In the mornings battle Sunrise topped Today with 392,000 to 347,000.

Nine won with 20.0 per cent, to Seven's 19.0 per cent. ABC1 scored 16.5 per cent, Ten attracted 13.3 per cent, and SBS One had 5.0 per cent.

The multichannel landscape saw Eleven (4.9 per cent) top 7TWO (4.4 per cent) and 7mate (4.2 per cent). GO! attracted 3.7 per cent and GEM 2.4 per cent.

With the combined share, Seven won 27.6 per cent to Nine's 26.1 per cent. The ABC scored 20.7 per cent to Ten's 19.7 per cent and SBS' 6.0 per cent.

Click here for a more detailed look at the ratings numbers.

Data © OzTAM Pty Ltd, 2011. The Data may not be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of OzTAM.