BBC3 Programming Reaches 16.3 Million In Launch Week
Over 16.3 million viewers tuned in to BBC3 programming during the digital entertainment channel’s first week on air.
According to the BBC, 39% of all 25 to 34 year olds sampled BBC3 programming for more than 15 minutes on terrestrial or digital channels at some point between 9 and 16 February.
BBC3’s audiences across the first week averaged 219,000 in digital homes, which the BBC is hailing as a success, particularly as the average audience for BBC Choice was just 78,000 in the last quarter of 2002.
Drama Burn It secured 0.8 million viewers on BBC1 and 700,000 tuned in to the programme on BBC3. Comic Dom Joly, who made his name on Channel 4 with Trigger Happy TV, drew an average audience of 0.5 million on BBC1 for his spoof chat show, This Is Dom Joly, which peaked with an audience of 214,000 on BBC3.
Stuart Murphy, controller of the new digital channel, commented: “BBC3 has got off to an encouraging start, and its a tribute to the creative strength of the talent and the programme makers. Theses figures show there is an appetite in the market place for original British programming covering all subjects from entertainment and drama to news and current affairs.”
The new channel was watched by an average of 154,000 viewers on its launch night of Sunday 9 February, which was simultaneously broadcast on BBC2 (see BBC3 Launch Attracts An Average Audience Of 154,000).
Commercial broadcasters have criticised the BBC for aiming a channel at the lucrative and already well-catered for 24 to 35 year old audience, arguing that channels such as E4 and Sky One already serve the market adequately (see Commercial Broadcasters Unite To Halt BBC3). The BBC’s commercial rivals also told the Government that they could lose up to £25m a year in revenue if BBC3 received the go-ahead (see BBC3 Could Cost Commercial Broadcasters £25m).
Nonetheless, despite this controversy, the new channel was given the green light in September, with a set of conditions designed to ensure that it remained distinct from its commercial rivals (see Government Finally Gives BBC3 The Go Ahead).
Geoffrey Russell, director of media affairs at the IPA, believes the Corporation has a huge amount riding on the relative success of BBC3, including the future of the licence fee itself (see NewsLine Column: BBC3 – How Was It For You?).
BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk
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