Digital Television Tops 10 Million Homes For First Time
The Government looks increasingly likely to meet its target of switching off the analogue signal by the end of this decade following news that the number of British homes with access to digital television has topped the 10 million mark for the first time.
The latest Trends In Television Report from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising shows that just under 11 million UK homes had access to digital television services in the three months to December 2003, up from just under 9.5 million in the same period the previous year.
The research also shows that non-terrestrial channels continue to gain ground in the all important battle for viewers, with their combined audience share rising by 1.5% points during the same period to equal ITV.
Meanwhile, ITV saw its share of viewing remain virtually static in the fourth quarter of last year at 23.8%, but analysts predict 2004 will be a positive year for the broadcaster, which plans to boost its programming budget by 7% to £849 million following the completion of Carlton and Granada’s long awaited merger (see ITV Merger Leads To Increase In Programme Budget).
BBC One maintained its lead over its commercial rivals despite a slight 1.2% points year on year decline in audience share to 25.4%. The channel was boosted by strong Christmas viewing figures for favourites like EastEnders and Only Fools And Horses, which prompted criticism that the BBC’s output is too commercial (see IPA Attacks Increasingly Commercial Nature Of BBC).
Channel 4 saw its share of viewing inch up by a nominal 0.1% points year on year to 9.6% despite the success of a range of key programmes such as Big Brother, Wife Swap and How Clean Is Your House?. However, the channel saw profits triple last year as its wide-ranging effort to reduce costs began to bear fruit despite the ongoing downturn in the television advertising market (see Outlook Improves For Channel 4 As Profits Triple).
Five’s ongoing attempt to distance itself from its downmarket image continued to prove effective and the channel saw its share of viewing rise by 0.3% points during the fourth quarter to 6.5%. Five recently dropped all remaining softcore pornographic content from the schedules and strengthened its science and history programming (see Lygo Strips Channel Five Of All Adult Content).
The survey also revealed that overall time spent watching television rose last year to an average of 3.73 hours a day, the highest figure recorded since 1992. Lynne Robinson, IPA research director, said: “Television viewing overall continues to show a positive upward trend. Underpinning this is the continued strong growth in digital television penetration and multi-channel viewing.”
IPA: 020 7235 7020 www.ipa.co.uk
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