12 August 2008
Traditional television viewing is still favoured among British consumers, despite the growth in on demand services on the internet, new research shows. According to a report by the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board and published by the television marketing body Thinkbox, services such as the BBC iPlayer and Channel 4's 4oD have failed to outdo conventional TV. The research reveals that while the number of people watching online broadcasts is growing, so too is the number of people watching television. British TV viewers now watch an average of 2.34 hours of commercial television each day. "That both broadcast and online TV platforms are growing simultaneously underlines how they fulfil different needs for viewers and that they can co-exist and indeed promote each other," said Thinkbox. The body points out that the growth in take-up of digital TV such as satellite, cable and Freeview, as well as an increase in the number of households using services such as Sky+ which allow them to record the favourite programmes and pause and rewind live TV, are behind the enduring popularity of traditional television. Meanwhile, TV viewers in the Scottish Border are gearing up for the digital switchover, which will take place in their region in November.