TV Viewing Summary W/E 30/03/97

Channel 5 appears for the first time this week as BARB release the first set of data for the channel. Obviously, the calendar week covered only features the first day of Channel 5 broadcasting; the rest of the data is modeled in order to give figures for the whole week. BARB has identified various ‘teething problems’ in measuring Channel 5 BARB Release Channel 5 Figures Tomorrow. Although the number of households actually tuned to, and receiving, Channel 5 are measured by BARB panels, the situation is constantly changing and any given survey results of this type are more or less out of date by the time they are available. With a two month or so delay in reporting, it will be a while before the Establishment Survey is able to provide stable Channel 5 universe details.

The BARB regional panels are fully representative of the transmission areas where Channel 5 can be received. The weighting system will include an exact representation of proportions of individuals 4+ inside and outside the NTL Channel 5 reception areas for ITV areas, BBC Regions, the Network, and the Satellite Panel. BARB also points out that although the sampling size errors for Channel 5 audiences will be comparable to those for similar-sized audiences for other stations, it should be remembered that for any station where audiences are small the sampling errors are proportionally higher than for a large audience. It is hoped that the margin of these errors can be reduced when panel controls for Channel 5 reception are introduced ; BARB estimates that this will have no effect upon the calculation of sampling errors for other stations.

With regards to judging the initial success of Channel 5, it would be perhaps slightly unfounded to say anything more than “OK so far, now lets wait and see”. TV launches are of course notoriously difficult to get right, and you only get one shot at it. Combine the usual difficulties, with those of a bank holiday weekend when your potential audience is more likely to be off doing something else, and there you have a task and a half. The launch show, This Is Five! attracted an audience of 2.49 million, but still lost out to Songs Of Praise’s 3.5 million viewers (well, it was Easter Sunday), and ITV’s live coverage of the Brazilian Grand Prix (6.8 million viewers). Once Channel 5 settles down, and indeed, increases the actual number of homes in which it can be reached we are assured by its publicity team that it will more than justify its place with regards to audience figures. Their recent efforts to improve the quality of films to be shown is encouraging, whether the financial resources will be available to sustain this remains to be seen. Still, “more consumer choice” is the catch phrase of the day, and that’s what the existence of Channel 5 gives us.

Channel 5 does of course still rely upon audience viewing and TVR’s in order to attract advertisers, but the very fact that there are now three terrestrial channels carrying TV adverts will hopefully mean an expansion in the market. The quality of advertising on the new channel has so far been of a high standard, as long as advertisers continue to support it in the manner in which they are currently, ITV may be forced to lower their rates. This will give both Channels 4 and 5 the potential for an increase in revenue, ultimately giving them more available money to spend on scheduling. Now that the ITV’s virtual ‘federal monopoly’ in the field looks likely to be broken, the future looks bright for both independent television and advertisers themselves.