1 in 6 people don't watch BBC TV

"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
From the BBC Annual Report:

http://www.bbcgovernors.co.uk/annrep...nualreport.pdf (6.1
MB)

page 33:

% of individuals that watch (weekly reach) the following:

BBC Television = 85.3% (86.6% in 2005)
BBC1 = 79.7% (81.9% in 2005)
BBC2 = 59.1% (61.4% in 2005)
BBC3 = 11.8% (9.4% in 2005)
BBC4 = 4.5% (3.0% in 2005)
CBBC = 4.2% (3.5% in 2005)
CBeebies = 6.4% (5.8% in 2005)
BBC News 24 = 5.4% (4.2% in 2005)
BBC Parliament = 0.2% (0.2% in 2005)

So 15% of people don't watch BBC TV, which is around 1 in 6 people.

And percentage reach for BBC1 and BBC2 has reduced by 2.2% and 2.3%
respectively.

Methinks that at this rate of decline, the BBC licence fee will *definitely*
be unsustainable by the next Charter renewal period in 10 years' time,
because there will be far too many people that just never watch the BBC,
which I think is by far the strongest argument against there being a
universal licence fee/tax.

It is clear that the popularity of the new/digital channels is increasing. BBC4
has seen a 50% increase in the number of viewers.

The figures may be deceptive as they don't show how the proportion of people who
don't watch any TV, the amount of time spent watching each channel or the trends
for non BBC broadcasts.


--

Michael Chare

ChrisM wrote:
"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
Dave Fawthrop wrote:
On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 09:49:49 GMT, "DAB sounds worse than FM"
wrote:


five out of six is a very respectable viewing rate.


Hardly, considering this is a universal tax on watching TV.


Don't usually get involved in this debate, as it is clear that both
sides have clear and very fixed thoughts on the subject, and no
amount of arguing is going to get anyone to change their mind,
Just wanted to stick my 2p worth in anyway though, and will probably
live to regret it...
Why such a fuss about the licence fee? We are talking about £2.50 a
week here, that's a pint of lager, or 10 fags or few of cups of
coffee in a cafe(one cup of it's Starbucks!) A WEEK. Not really very
much is it!


It's a lot of money wasted if you don't watch BBC TV or watch so little that
you wouldn't want to pay the £130 (going up to £180 over the next few
years).



--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Find the cheapest Freeview & DAB prices:
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.php
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"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
SNIP

Overall, stop talking bollox.


That is RICH coming from your! :~(

"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...

snip meaningless quoted percentages

snip anti BBC troll

Nothing left to comment on!

"ChrisM" wrote in message
...


"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
Dave Fawthrop wrote:
On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 09:49:49 GMT, "DAB sounds worse than FM"
wrote:


five out of six is a very respectable viewing rate.


Hardly, considering this is a universal tax on watching TV.


Don't usually get involved in this debate, as it is clear that both sides
have clear and very fixed thoughts on the subject, and no amount of
arguing is going to get anyone to change their mind,
Just wanted to stick my 2p worth in anyway though, and will probably live
to regret it...
Why such a fuss about the licence fee? We are talking about £2.50 a week
here, that's a pint of lager, or 10 fags or few of cups of coffee in a
cafe(one cup of it's Starbucks!) A WEEK. Not really very much is it!
I think it's fairly hard to argue that the BBC is not worth that. Even if
you don't watch BBC TV, you probably still listen to BBC radio sometimes,
or use the online services, or watch some TV programmes that were
originally funded by the licence fee.


I can only speak for myself, as someone who opposes the licence fee. I do
not really understand the reasons that the proponents of the fee are so
vehemently against making it optional via subscription, since the increase
in the fee (given that they say the BBC is considered to be so popular and
good value for money) would be fairly minimal. Anyway, we'll let the
proponents answer for themselves. My reasons a

- in the first place, it is not £2.50 a week, it is £131.50 a year. The BBC
is very inflexible about the way you can pay the fee, it is not possible to
do it on a Pay-as-you-go basis (the most "discount" you can get is complete
quarters of the year if you do not watch any television) ;

- I do not believe that it provides good value for money. I would much
rather not pay the fee, and not view or listen to any of the BBC's output. I
would get far more pleasure from an extra pint of beer every week (BTW, you
can get it much cheaper than that) ;

- the BBC is a political organisation. This does not mean that it
necessarily supports one or the other main parties (though I have some
Conservative-voting friends who believe that it does) but it does have a
political (small p) viewpoint. I do not share the BBC's politics and do not
wish to contribute to their promotion ;

- the flat-rate licence fee is inherently unfair, having no relation to the
amount or type of television watched in a household. Rather, it is
disproportionate to the amount of television watched in a household. Large
familty households pay the same as a single-person household. Even the
Council Tax has a 25% discount for single people ;

- by and large, I do not think that light entertainment (which constitutes
the vast majority of the BBC's expenditure) should come out of public
funding. Certainly not to the tune of £4 billion pounds every year. That is
not to say that the government shouldn't provide some aid to the
entertainment industry (or indeed any other industry) every now and again.
People can pay for their own entertainment, and I'll pay for mine ;

- it can be enforced only by allowing an unacceptable level of harassment
and intrusion into the lives of people who choose not to pay the fee ;

- I believe that (at least some of) the money released by people not having
to pay the licence fee would be spent on other broadcasters, and this could
help to improve the overall quality of British TV, and by goodness it needs
it.

Those are the main reasons - there are more!

Regards,
Arfur

Michael Chare wrote:
"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
From the BBC Annual Report:

http://www.bbcgovernors.co.uk/annrep...nualreport.pdf
(6.1 MB)

page 33:

% of individuals that watch (weekly reach) the following:

BBC Television = 85.3% (86.6% in 2005)
BBC1 = 79.7% (81.9% in 2005)
BBC2 = 59.1% (61.4% in 2005)
BBC3 = 11.8% (9.4% in 2005)
BBC4 = 4.5% (3.0% in 2005)
CBBC = 4.2% (3.5% in 2005)
CBeebies = 6.4% (5.8% in 2005)
BBC News 24 = 5.4% (4.2% in 2005)
BBC Parliament = 0.2% (0.2% in 2005)

So 15% of people don't watch BBC TV, which is around 1 in 6 people.

And percentage reach for BBC1 and BBC2 has reduced by 2.2% and 2.3%
respectively.

Methinks that at this rate of decline, the BBC licence fee will
*definitely* be unsustainable by the next Charter renewal period in
10 years' time, because there will be far too many people that just
never watch the BBC, which I think is by far the strongest argument
against there being a universal licence fee/tax.

It is clear that the popularity of the new/digital channels is
increasing. BBC4 has seen a 50% increase in the number of viewers.


The figure for BBC TV overall has still fallen by 1.3%. What that suggests
is that the increase in audiences for BBC3/4 are mainly from people that
already watch BBC 1/2.


The figures may be deceptive as they don't show how the proportion of
people who don't watch any TV,


True, but still the percentage that do watch some TV is very high (can't
remember what it is exactly), and if the trend continues that about 1.5% of
people stop watching BBC TV over the next decade (I wouldn't be surprised if
the decline accelerates as people start watching more stuff downloaded via
broadband) then the licence fee will, IMO, be unsustainable the next time
it's up for renewal.



--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Find the cheapest Freeview & DAB prices:
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.php
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/dab/dab_radios.php

David Hearn wrote:
DAB sounds worse than FM wrote:
From the BBC Annual Report:

http://www.bbcgovernors.co.uk/annrep...nualreport.pdf
(6.1 MB)

page 33:

% of individuals that watch (weekly reach) the following:

BBC Television = 85.3% (86.6% in 2005)
BBC1 = 79.7% (81.9% in 2005)
BBC2 = 59.1% (61.4% in 2005)
BBC3 = 11.8% (9.4% in 2005)
BBC4 = 4.5% (3.0% in 2005)
CBBC = 4.2% (3.5% in 2005)
CBeebies = 6.4% (5.8% in 2005)
BBC News 24 = 5.4% (4.2% in 2005)
BBC Parliament = 0.2% (0.2% in 2005)

So 15% of people don't watch BBC TV, which is around 1 in 6 people.

And percentage reach for BBC1 and BBC2 has reduced by 2.2% and 2.3%
respectively.

Methinks that at this rate of decline, the BBC licence fee will
*definitely* be unsustainable by the next Charter renewal period in
10 years' time, because there will be far too many people that just
never watch the BBC, which I think is by far the strongest argument
against there being a universal licence fee/tax.

How many of those people watch BBC TV programmes though (ie. through
all those channels which show old BBC repeats?)


How is that at all relevant to the issue of the BBC licence fee?


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Find the cheapest Freeview & DAB prices:
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.php
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/dab/dab_radios.php

:::Jerry:::: wrote:
"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
SNIP

Overall, stop talking bollox.


That is RICH coming from your! :~(


Be quiet, fool.


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Find the cheapest Freeview & DAB prices:
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.php
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/dab/dab_radios.php

"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
David Hearn wrote:
snip

How many of those people watch BBC TV programmes though (ie.
through
all those channels which show old BBC repeats?)


How is that at all relevant to the issue of the BBC licence fee?


Very, considering that they are made with licence fee money.

:::Jerry:::: wrote:
"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...

snip meaningless quoted percentages


Meaningless?


snip anti BBC troll


It was merely a comment on the unsustainability of the BBC licence fee - I
will continue to watch BBC TV when it becomes a subscription service.


Nothing left to comment on!


Only because you don't have a brain.


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Find the cheapest Freeview & DAB prices:
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.php
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/dab/dab_radios.php