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Britain

Brits Vote With Channel Selectors - BBC Ratings Freefall

2004-12-14

EFL -
Viewing figures for the BBC's two main television channels have fallen to an all-time low in the week that the director general, Mark Thompson, announced swingeing cutbacks.

Swingeing?

BBC1's share of all television viewing is set to fall through the psychologically important 25 per cent barrier for the first time in the broadcaster's history, according to audience figures for this year up to 9 December. BBC2 has also seen its audience share plummet by almost 9 per cent over the same period. If these trends continue for the final three weeks of 2004, it will mean that for the first time less than 10 per cent of the television audience are tuning into BBC2 on average, while less than a quarter of viewers are watching BBC1.

The figures, which reflect the changing landscape of British television, show the combined audience share for BBC1 and BBC2 has fallen by almost 9 per cent since 2000. The decline, largely because of the rise of multi-channel viewing, has afflicted ITV1 even more severely than the BBC - since 2000 the channel's audience share has fallen 22 per cent to 22.8 per cent of all television viewers. In 2004, for the first time, multi-channel television has attracted higher overall viewing figures than either BBC1 or ITV1, with 26 per cent of the audience.
End the taxation without representation for non-leftists!

Posted by:Frank G

#13 This only partially reflects the interesting story, which is the heavy news consumers (news junkies) now get their news from the Internet. I hardly ever watch TV news these days and when I do its mostly to see which stories get pushed with what spin, i.e. not for the news itself.

Posted by: phil_b 2004-12-14 2:01:48 PM

#12 Hi Slomort. I don't need to be in the UK to laugh my ass off at the BBC's hilariously slanted middle east coverage or their incompetence when it comes to coverage of anything related to US domestic affairs, or business or technology.

Posted by: lex 2004-12-14 1:38:49 PM

#11 The BBC may have some quality issues but the overall journalistic performance is still unmatched. Let's hope it does not orient itself on CNN. When I'm in the States I always laugh my ass of on their opinionated unprofessional reports. The only thing where they have an edge is speed, given that they are the most sucessfull pivate channel. But for real background information and quality sources...nah.

Posted by: Slomort Shoque7331 2004-12-14 1:30:06 PM

#10 Make that '...whimper, not with a bang...'.

Posted by: Krang 2004-12-14 1:02:54 PM

#9 Do they have a choice to watch Fox or CNN?

There's Sky (whose market share dynamics the Indy interestingly omits to mention). BBC's just a tired old echo chamber for its own opinions (or as the imbecilic axeman of quality Greg Dyke put it: 'values'. You are free to vomit). The BBC was great when it reflected the nation's outlook in all directions and from all perspectives. Now that it's just a mouthpiece for middle class Guardianista PC hypocrisy it gets more boring with every cycle. It may be going out with a bang, rather than a whimper; the licence fee poll tax riots may never happen.

They've decided they need to send a wedge of their staff up to Manchester in order to make the BBC less London orientated. What a total waste of time and money. A typically moronic and self-destructive BBC farce. Watch the minor suits scrambling over themselves to leave those departments destined for gulag status.

Posted by: Krang 2004-12-14 1:01:30 PM

#8 Swingeing?

Sure, like the Ministry of Housinge. (It was spelt like that on the van.)

Posted by: Angie Schultz 2004-12-14 12:51:45 PM

#7 Yes, indeed: "Demand a broader view..."

Posted by: .com 2004-12-14 12:34:19 PM

#6 Ah...that accursed free market! damn them! damn them to hell!! And those equally accursed viewers! We are Mother BBC! And Mother knows best!

We now return to the BBC World News (as we determine it to be).

Posted by: PlanetDan 2004-12-14 12:26:44 PM

#5 Great sport. Shite news. I'm torn...

Posted by: Howard UK 2004-12-14 11:26:28 AM

#4 Swingeing? Yea baby!

Posted by: Austin Powers 2004-12-14 10:46:58 AM

#3 it's just a thought, but maybe people get tired of listening to lies.

Posted by: 2b 2004-12-14 10:41:37 AM

#2 The Market cannot be denied, no matter how much social engineering one tries.

Just so long as they don't cancel Dr. Who....

After all, it's almost time.

Posted by: anonymous2u 2004-12-14 10:38:52 AM

#1 Funny what people choose when given a choice! Do they have a choice to watch Fox or CNN?

Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2004-12-14 10:38:27 AM

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