As multi-choice TV booms, BBC loses 500,000 viewers

Shipoftheline

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The number of households tuning in to the BBC's TV channels each week has fallen by half a million over the last year.
Figures published yesterday showed the number of viewers watching the BBC for at least 15 minutes a week was down to 87.9 per cent for the year to date, compared with 89.9 per cent over the same period in 2004.

The decline reflects the rapid growth of multi-channel television - now in 15million homes - and the burgeoning popularity of other forms of home entertainment, such as computer games and the Internet.

BBC bosses have long insisted that "reach" - that is, how many people tune in to its channels for a least 15 minutes a week - is a more important measure than "share", the proportion of people watching its programmes at any one time.

However, with more than 60 per cent of households now having multi-channel television, such as the BBC-backed Freeview service, the audience share of the BBC's main channels has also fallen sharply to around 35 per cent.

Big falls

BBC1 and BBC2 suffered the biggest ratings decline of the five main terrestrial channels. Both saw their average audience share drop by about six per cent between January 1 and November 14 - compared to the same period last year - to 23.3 per cent and 9.4 per cent.

Although BBC1 in particular usually enjoys a strong Christmas, this is unlikely to make much difference to the overall audience decline over the year.

There was bad news too for ITV1 - which saw its audience share down by 5.7 per cent.

Both BBC1 and ITV1 will take solace from the success in reviving family viewing on Saturday nights with hit shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, Dr Who and The X Factor.

Channel 5 has also suffered a slight decline in its audience share for the first time since it launched in 1997, although it attributes that to its more upmarket programming.

Channel 4 progress

Meanwhile, buoyed by its coverage of the Ashes series and Big Brother, Channel 4 has been the only terrestrial channel to hold its audience with a share of 9.9 per cent so far.

The latest figures reflect the relentless rise of digital TV. Multi-channel services such as ITV2, Sky One and E4 have seen their audience share climb to 29.5 per cent, compared with 26 per cent last year.

Industry experts say the figures raise fundamental questions for all broadcasters.

One source said: "As its audiences get smaller, people will increasingly ask whether the licence fee is justified, as well as how long advertising-funded channels like ITV can survive."

Although the BBC's main digital channels have continued to grow - BBC3 and BBC4 recorded their best months in October - it has not made up for the decline of BBC1 and BBC2.

Taken together, the BBC channels - including CBBC, Cbeebies, News 24 and BBC Parliament - have seen their audience share fall four per cent. By contrast, ITV1's decline was just about offset by the success of its new digital channels - ITV2, 3 and 4.

Don't watch it and refuse to pay towards the people who expect everyone else to pay for there television

Source
 
Hmm...I'm no fan of the TV licience but it's the law so I pay it & I happen to think the BBC does a pretty good job.
It's a system that harks back to the pre-war years & yes it does need changing. Also, I have to add, whilst successive governments have talked about alternative ways to fund the BBC, no one has ever said the 'licience' requirement would go...after all its a tax & governments DONT abolish taxes, they just call it a different name...:mad: But that's another argument..
However, there is a need for something like the BBC (don't forget the BBC is not just TV...), funded by 'us' the tax payer. Because if left to commercial stations the quality of our TV would most definitely decline, I for one don't want all my TV interupted every 8mins to see adverts (watch the clock the next time you watch Sky1 or a major draw on ITV).
There's a long history in this country of quality TV programs (& radio for that matter) from both the BBC & Independant TV, so we must have got it right somewhere.
Also, not being a 'Daily Mail reader', I'd treat what they've printed with a little circumspect...after all 2% loss in a year is not a great deal, especially if you set it off against the increase in the digital TV audience...But thats statistics for you...
 
I hear this all the time about Daily Mail readers or the Sun, The Mirror even the Telegraph when people dont like what they publish but the fact is the figures were published yesterday and they speak for themselves. If people like the BBC then they should pay for it and not keep on expecting everyone else to subsidize them
 
Sorry Ship, but it's not about those who 'like' the BBC telling all 'others' to pay for thier TV. The current law means everyone pays, it's how it is..
As I say the system needs changing, it's not perfect by a long margin. But I firmly believe there is a place for a publicly funded broadcatser in the UK.
OK, I may be a little 'pre-concieved' in my ideas about news papers, but I am naturally sceptical of anything I read in our newspapers, because far to many of them have a political under current...if you read the same story in The Telegraph, it has a different slant & different again in the Times...
 
...if you read the same story in The Telegraph, it has a different slant & different again in the Times...

Very true! I personally think that the license fee is pretty good value for quality advert free programming. I certainly wouldn't pay a SKY subscription for the sh*te they have on offer.
 
narabdela said:
Very true! I personally think that the license fee is pretty good value for quality advert free programming. I certainly wouldn't pay a SKY subscription for the sh*te they have on offer.

Hey here's an idea you and your BBC friends pay for it without the rest of us that don't

The BBC are conning bastards plain and simple http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,1306274,00.html

;)
 
narabdela said:
Very true! I personally think that the license fee is pretty good value for quality advert free programming. I certainly wouldn't pay a SKY subscription for the sh*te they have on offer.

its not exactly 'advert free' with those frequently repeated bbc trailers.
 
stevedw said:
its not exactly 'advert free' with those frequently repeated bbc trailers.

I think he was refering to adverts every 15 mins rather than in between programs. But I agree that they are over played, especially the 'signatures' to tell you which channel you're on.

One of the things the commercial companies don't like is that the BBC can cross advertise its other channels without loss of revenue, where as ITV, for example, would lose a 30sec ad slot.
 
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Shipoftheline said:
Hey here's an idea you and your BBC friends pay for it without the rest of us that don't

The BBC are conning bastards plain and simple

It's nice to hear a well argued, balanced, point of view for a change.

:grayyawn: :grayyawn:
 
narabdela said:
It's nice to hear a well argued, balanced, point of view for a change.

:grayyawn: :grayyawn:


I take it you dont agree with people who dont like paying for the beloved bbc. This is the 21st century why the hell should we have to pay the BBC just to own a television set :mad:
 
Shipoftheline said:
....why the hell should we have to pay the BBC just to own a television set....
@shipoftheline, why the hell would anyone explain to you?? You'd never listen, your tunnel vision is sooooooo focused on hatred of the bbc that you will never see reality around you. I'm not even trying to put forward an arguement that the licence is perfect, i'm just saying your view is too far from reality, all i can say is that no matter how much you preach your view here, no matter how many webpages you have on it, no matter how many signatures on a petition, no matter how many sheep follow you, the fact is more intelligent people make the decisions and your gonna have to lump it :salute: its law.
I am proud to be British and own/fund part of THE number 1 best home tv provider in the WORLD. Total Pay-tv will never be the future of UK television.
 
why pay 80% tax on petrol to keep the roads in good nick when you pay road tax?, why pay tax on your wages when you pay tax on EVERYTHING you buy with the money thats left of your wages? you only get to KEEP 18% of any money you earn after tax (think about it)

its just another con that we have rolled over and accepted and now its just tough sh1t, its accepted as the norm
 
digidude said:
why pay 80% tax on petrol to keep the roads in good nick when you pay road tax?, why pay tax on your wages when you pay tax on EVERYTHING you buy with the money thats left of your wages? you only get to KEEP 18% of any money you earn after tax (think about it)

its just another con that we have rolled over and accepted and now its just tough sh1t, its accepted as the norm


Were not talking about everyday tax here were talking about paying for the stuppid BBC just because we own a television.

We have already heard they are trying to get a broadband tax and the BBC are going to be offering tv broadband to help force this through its a bloody rippoff
 
pinkhelmets said:
I am proud to be British and own/fund part of THE number 1 best home tv provider in the WORLD. Total Pay-tv will never be the future of UK television.


Great thats excellent for you Jack don't mind anyone else hey ;)
 
@SOTL, being selfish is exactly how i see your view SOTL.... feck everyone else- you just want to pay for your suited channels cos thats all you want. So the old pensioners should pay just for chans that suit them, then when the grandkids come round- tuff s#it they cant watch telly there, if you want to watch footy at home- tuff s#it your wife pays for the female based chans etc etc no free footy on pay-tv chans. Why have soaps when they are all crap, what a waste of bbc money, why minority programming.... why why why its not what you want..... Why be so pro-paytv? That is very selfish especially if your wealthy enough to have what you want- feck the poor or minorities etc.

As I see it my view is the least selfish, and i'm also not trying to go on a mission to show the world my view is right, take it or leave it. Please just take 1 step back and look around you to realise there is no need for your campaign and crusade, you have a view, fine but theres no need to be offensive to those that have a different view.
 
Would that be because I said some bad things (but true things) about the BBC sorry I didn't see anything in the rules about it
 
pinkhelmets said:
@SOTL, being selfish is exactly how i see your view SOTL.... feck everyone else- you just want to pay for your suited channels cos thats all you want.

Err I dont agree with paying for it because it just goe's to subsidize the people who do watch it (wonder who would get upset with that)

pinkhelmets said:
So the old pensioners should pay just for chans that suit them.

There's plenty of free channels out here so thats not really a good argument

pinkhelmets said:
As I see it my view is the least selfish, and i'm also not trying to go on a mission to show the world my view is right, take it or leave it. Please just take 1 step back and look around you to realise there is no need for your campaign and crusade, you have a view, fine but theres no need to be offensive to those that have a different view.


I just want choice and at this time we don't have it that to me is some BBC fans being selfish expecting everyone else to pay up for them.


I'll agree with one thing for sure though "i'm also not trying to go on a mission to show the world my view is right" Choice is the key word for me at this time the BBC make £3 billion a year and yet they want £6 billion the bubbles gonna burst
 
Dont worry yourselves over this, eventually tv will all be on demand and the greedy government will tax the fek out of you to watch it and it will cost you more to do so and it will still have adverts, thats the way of this country.
 
Ship, where has this ferocious hatred of the BBC come from...I don't like paying the licience fee (does any one 'like' paying a tax?), but as I said before it's the law, allied to which as I said before I think the Beeb do a pretty good job.
How else do you propose to fund a 'public' service provider? Even in America they have publicly funded TV channels & radio for that matter.
Are you seriously suggesting that you don't watch any BBC made TV programs??? On principle...??
After all there are many programs on Sly channels & terrestial digital (although the BBC holds a stake in the company that runs terrestial digital system) channels made or co-produced by the BBC...
 
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