TV Market Round-Up – September 2005

ITV was the only terrestrial broadcaster not to see a revenue increase during September, with a dip of 4.3% year on year pushing the company’s total down to just under £152 million.

The broadcaster’s management team are reported to be considering a reshuffle for its late evening schedules, with a move for the late evening news being considered in order to free up peaktime airspace for higher rating shows (see ITV Considers Shift For Late Evening News).

Elsewhere, there was cause for celebration amongst rival terrestrial broadcasters last month, with solid revenue rises reported year on year.

GMTV saw the largest rise, adding a healthy 8.6% on September 2004 to see its revenues total £6.7 million. Meanwhile, Five added a substantial 7.3% year on year to total £29.5 million.

Channel 4 Also performed well during September, adding 5.2% to its revenues year on year. The broadcaster, which saw success with the climax of the Ashes cricket tournament, recorded revenues of just under £70 million (see Channel 4 Cricket High Stumps Rivals).

Satellite broadcasters continued to perform well in September, adding 11.2% to revenues year on year, totaling £68.7 million.

ITV Franchises

ITV’s Meridian region saw the largest increase in revenue share during September, adding 0.7% points year on year to contribute 12.37% of the broadcaster’s total.

London-based LWT also looked strong, adding 0.6% points in the same period to contribute 12.88%, while Carlton maintained its position as the largest contributor to ITV’s coffers with a 0.4% point increase.

The North West/Border region saw the largest downturn in revenue share, losing 0.5% points year on year to contribute 9.29%, while the West Country slipped by 0.2% points in the same period, remaining at the bottom of the table with a revenue share of 1.99%.

Costs Per Thousand

Five was the only terrestrial broadcaster to see rises in costs per thousand across the board during September. The broadcaster saw particularly sizable increases in both the Men and Housewives with Children categories, adding 8.4% and 8.8% respectively year on year.

Elsewhere Channel 4 saw a 7% increase year on year in costs per thousand for its Women audience, while a dip of 6.9% was evident in the Housewives with Children category.

ITV saw the largest number of declines in cost, with all but its Housewives with Children category experiencing a downturn. The broadcasters Men category saw the largest decline in costs, with a 6% decrease year on year.

Commercial Impacts

Satellite broadcasters continued to benefit from the increasing uptake of digital TV during September with commercial impacts increasing across the board. The largest rise was seen in the housewives audience, which notched up a 19.1% increase year on year.

Elsewhere, the nation’s terrestrial broadcasters saw mixed results during September. Channel 4 put in the best performance of the month, with a decline in impacts in just one audience, Women, which dipped by 1.7%. Solid increases of 10.4% and 13% in the Men and Housewives with Children categories boosted the broadcaster, which saw smaller rises in its housewives and ABC1 adults audiences.

ITV1 fared worst amongst terrestrial broadcasters, with only the increase evident in its Men audience, which rose by 1.8% year on year.

The broadcaster’s housewives with children audience saw the largest dip in impacts, with a downturn of 5.2% year on year. ABC1 adults also recorded a downturn, slipping by 3.4% in the same period.

BARB: www.barb.co.uk