REPORT SHOWS RAPID CHANGES IN BROADCASTING

RAPID CHANGES in the broadcasting environment are reflected in the ITC's annual survey of viewing habits in the UK, according to a report called ‘Television: The Public's View’.
UK households are becoming richer in technologies, with 70 per cent of households having two or more television sets. A fifth of respondents had bought or rented a new set in the last twelve months, and the minority of households with widescreen televisions had doubled from 8 per cent in 1999 to 16 per cent in 2000.
The survey demonstrated a small increase in multi-channel subscriptions, with new subscribers again most likely to come from social groups AB and those who do not watch much television. Over a half of children now have a television in their bedroom, rising to 67 per cent of 10-15 year olds, but only 2 per cent have internet access in their bedrooms. The survey showed a decline in VCR ownership and usage.
This year's survey saw a decline in VCR ownership and usage – 29 per cent of respondents had used their VCR to time-shift a programme more than once a week, compared with 39 per cent in 1999. Viewing of commercially recorded tapes has also fallen, but there was a small increase in the number of multi-channel subscribers using Pay-Per-View (PPV) television, with films proving more popular than sports. However, 80 per cent of multi-channel viewers said they resented having to pay more to watch certain sports events or films on PPV.
Satisfaction with the television services available to viewers was higher amongst multi-channel subscribers than terrestrial-only viewers. 83 per cent of subscribers agreed that their services 'give me all the choice I want', compared with 65 per cent of analogue terrestrial viewers. Television continued to be considered the most important source of world and local news by the majority of respondents, and is considered to provide a more impartial view of the world.
ITV remained the favourite channel if viewers could pick only one, and the average viewing was 26 hours a week, with most viewers watching between 15 and 35 hours a week.
Heavy viewers, watching over five hours a day, tended to be older, in the socio-economic group DE and live in Scotland, Wales or the Midlands, with a preference for ITV. Light viewers, watching 15 hours a week or less, were likely to be from the AB group, live in London or the South, and prefer BBC1. (CD)