Total terrestrial revenue for April 1999 (including GMTV) according to agency estimates was £233.02 million. Both ITV and GMTV suffered losses in revenue, losing 2.4% and 9.5% year on year respectively. Channel 4’s revenue remained fairly stable during April 1999, and Channel 5’s total revenue grew by 22.6% year on year.
LWT increased its share of revenue the most year on year, growing by 0.8 points to a share of 12.2%. Carlton was the largest of all the franchises for April 1999 with a share of 16.7%.
From January 1999 Central & North Scotland report as one area. This prohibits year on year comparisons.
April, the first full month of ITV’s new evening schedule, was a poor one for the Network in terms of impacts. All audience categories dropped year on year, with ABC1 Adults down by 5.8%. It seems that the initial boost to ITV created by the controversy surrounding the demise of the News At Ten had started to wear off by April.
Channel 4, on the other hand boosted its ABC1 Adults impacts by 6.3%, and Channel 5 continues to improve in all categories, with ABC1 Adults up 40%.
ITV’s costs rose across most of its audience categories during April. ABC1 adults rose by 3.6% year on year. Housewives/children were the one category to decrease in cost however, falling 0.7%. All but one of Channel 4’s audience categories fell in price, with ABC1 adults dropping by 6%. Only housewives/children increased their costs per thousand, rising by 1.6%.
Men were the only audience category whose costs per thousands increased in April 1999 for Channel 5. They grew by 4%.
ITV triumphed in the battle for viewing share in April 1999, although it had its second lowest viewing share this decade. ITV also suffered the largest proportional loss in viewing share, dropping by 1.2 percentage points. Channel 4 and Channel 5 both added to their viewing share, and that of cable and satellite grew by 1.1 percentage points for April 1999.
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