Category: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE; ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ TWO; ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ THREE; ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ FOUR; CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½; News
Date: 14.12.2005
Printable version
The combined reach of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s digital TV channels has grown by 21 per cent during 2005, with share increasing by nine per cent.
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Recent figures show that in the year to date, average weekly reach for the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s digital channels (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ THREE, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ FOUR, CBeebies, CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ News 24 and ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Parliament) has increased by three million from 14 million to 17 million.
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Likewise, share in all hours has risen from 3.3% last year to 3.6% in 2005 - an increase of 9.0%.
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Jana Bennett, the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s Director of Television, says: "The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s portfolio of digital channels has really come into its own this year.
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"We are meeting digital viewers' appetites for original British programming: from The Thick of It to Little Britain and from The Lost Decade to Funland, as well as with our brilliant and bold children's services.
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"Last year, our digital channels reached 41.5% of digital viewers; this year, that figure has risen to 44% - significant growth when set within the context of the remorseless expansion of the multi-channel universe."
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Performance highlights are as follows:
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ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ THREE's annual share amongst all individuals in digital homes in primetime has grown by 27%, a growth ahead of all channels bar E4.
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The channel's average weekly reach has increased by 35% from 6.5 million to 8.8 million. This is due in large part to comedies Nighty Night and Ideal, dramas such as Casanova and Funland, and factual programmes including Honey We're Killing The Kids and The House of Tiny Tearaways.
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Similarly, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ FOUR's annual share has increased by 20% to 0.58%, from 0.48% in the previous year. Average weekly reach increased by 31% on 2004, from 2.7 million viewers each week to 3.5 million.
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Recent channel highlights include Armando Iannucci's acclaimed comedy The Thick Of It and The Lost Decade season.
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Both CBeebies and CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ have grown in terms of share, with programmes like Tracy Beaker and Jonny's Hotshots helping CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ to take a 5.7% share amongst children (up on 2004 by 0.9 share points).
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Meanwhile, new shows like Charlie and Lola have given CBeebies a 6.4% share amongst children (up on 2004 by 0.2 share points).
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Amongst all individuals, CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s and CBeebies' share have increased by 9% and 4% respectively.
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Audience support for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ News 24 has established the channel as Britain's leading news channel.
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Average weekly reach over the year has increased by 25% from four million to five million with audience share stable at 0.6%.
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As for the terrestrial channels in digital households, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE's share is stable year-on-year at 19.2%, while ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ TWO's share has increased from 6.5% to 6.7% in all hours and from 6.4% to 6.6% in peak.
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Notes to Editors
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Part of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s public purpose is to drive digital uptake through its digital services. The number of UK homes receiving the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s six extra channels increased by 6% in the year to the end of September, and 9% year on year.
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Full figures for the year are not in, but Ofcom has just announced that 66% of UK homes had digital by the end of September 2005, and 68.5% had multichannel television (includes analogue cable).
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