Ofcom has today published the Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) Annual Report 2012.
The report covers programme spending and output, viewing figures and audience opinions of the main five PSB channels – BBC One, BBC Two, ITV1, Channel 4, Channel 5 – as well as the BBC digital channels and S4C. It provides the data used to assess how the PSB channels are delivering on their public service purposes.
The PSB Annual Report 2012 shows:
- Total spending on network programming across the main five PSB channels and the BBC digital channels decreased by 8 per cent in real terms in 2011 to £2.8bn. This continues the downward trend of the last five years, with a 20 per cent drop since 2006.
- Spending on first-run originated programmes fell by 6 per cent in real terms in 2011 to £2.4bn. Since 2006, first-run spending was down by 18 per cent in real terms.
- 2011 was a quieter year for sport, with first-run spending on sport down 23 per cent compared to 2010, a year which included the football World Cup and the Winter Olympics. Excluding sport, first-run spending fell by 0.3 per cent year on year.
- Real term changes in first-run spending varied across individual channels. The largest percentage increase was Channel 5, up by 45 per cent to £95m. In absolute terms Channel 4 had the largest increase, up by £35m to £372m. The largest percentage reduction was BBC One, down by 16 per cent to £719m. In absolute terms, BBC One also had the largest fall, down by £140m year on year.
- Overall hours of first-run programming increased by 295 hours in 2011 to 32,167. This rise was due the commercial PSBs, who combined increased their first-run hours by 495 in 2011.The BBC channels saw a decline of 200 hours of first-run content.
- The proportion of people watching BBC One in a typical week has increased slightly over the last five years from 77 per cent in 2006 to 79 per cent in 2011, while BBC Two has grown from 52 per cent to 54 per cent. ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5 have each decreased since 2006 (ITV1 from 69 per cent to 67 per cent, Channel 4 from 57 per cent to 53 per cent and Channel 5 from 42 per cent to 40 per cent).
- Each of the main five PSB channels has seen a decline in their share of television viewing, with their aggregated share down from 67 per cent in 2006 to 54 per cent in 2011. At the same time their digital portfolio channels have each increased in share, in total they rose from 9 per cent in 2006 to just under 20 per cent in 2011. As a result the combined share of the main five PSBs and their digital portfolio channels stood at 73 per cent in 2011, versus 76 per cent in 2006.
- Audiences continue to value PSB programming. Ofcom’s PSB Tracker showed overall satisfaction with all the main PSB channels combined remains high, with four in five (80 per cent) of those who ever watch any PSB channel claiming to be either quite, or very satisfied. Here to read more.
