TV Viewing Decline Slows
The IPA has published its Fourth Quarter 1995 TV Trends Report; this allows an overview of 1995’s television viewing as a whole. The average daily hours of viewing to total television were 3.59 hours in 1995 compared to 3.60 hours in 1994, halting the steep decline which has been recorded in recent years. The average daily total viewing for 1992 was 3.81 hours.
Within the total viewing figures, the non-terrestrial channels’ share of viewing grew steadily throughout 1995, whilst the BBC services and Channel 4 have maintained their share, leaving ITV the overall loser in the battle for the viewing audience.
The last quarter’s audiences were as ever influenced by the Christmas/New Year holiday period. Overall, there was an increase in viewing year on year. As in previous years, BBC performed particularly well, boosting its overall share of the quarter. Channel 4’s performance was disappointing in the last quarter following an excellent performance for the first three quarters of 1995, while the non-terrestrial channels’ growth was halted by a poor performance in the last two weeks of the year.
Channel Share; All Individuals (Consolidated, incl. non-terrestrial)
| ITV | C4 | OTHER | BBC1 | BBC2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 Q1 | 39.5 | 11.1 | 6.6 | 32.7 | 10.2 |
| 1994 Q2 | 39.8 | 10.6 | 6.8 | 31.6 | 11.2 |
| 1994 Q3 | 38.9 | 11 | 6.8 | 32.5 | 10.8 |
| 1994 Q4 | 39.6 | 10.3 | 7.1 | 32.8 | 10.2 |
| 1995 Q1 | 38 | 11.1 | 7.7 | 32.7 | 10.4 |
| 1995 Q2 | 36.9 | 11.3 | 8.5 | 31.8 | 11.5 |
| 1995 Q3 | 36.3 | 11.4 | 9.1 | 31.6 | 11.6 |
| 1995 Q4 | 37.6 | 9.9 | 8.8 | 32.6 | 11.1 |
The profile of ITV viewing by age has improved steadily over the period during which the IPA has published its reports; although it has on occasions slipped back a little to the older profile it once had, the profile is still regularly better than it used to be. The social class profile, however, continues to be relatively down-market.
Channel Shares by Demographics
| ITV | C4 | Other | BBC1 | BBC2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Inds | 37.6 | 9.9 | 8.8 | 32.6 | 11.1 |
| All Adults | 37.9 | 10 | 7.9 | 32.9 | 11.3 |
| 16-34 | 37.9 | 10.4 | 11.5 | 30.1 | 10.2 |
| 35-54 | 37.1 | 9.8 | 9.8 | 32.7 | 10.7 |
| 55+ | 38.6 | 9.9 | 4.2 | 34.8 | 12.6 |
| ABC1 | 33.8 | 10 | 7.6 | 35.9 | 12.7 |
| C2DE | 40.6 | 10 | 8.1 | 30.9 | 10.5 |
The other significant trend of the year is in terms of average weekly patronage; for non-terrestrial channels, this is fast approaching a quarter of the total viewing population, at 23%.
IPA: 0171 235 7020