[eccr] UK: Multichannel halfway mark reached

Title: UK: Multichannel halfway mark reached

For the first time, half of the UK's television viewers have access to more than five channels, the latest research indicates. More children are growing up in the new environment

For the first time, half of the UK's television viewers have access to more than just the regular five channels, new research indicates. 

The number of multichannel viewers rose from 42% in 2000 to 50% in 2001, according to a survey carried out for the Independent Television Committee and the Broadcasting Standards Commission. 

By the term "multichannel", the ITC and BSC mean access to digital terrestrial, satellite or cable broadcasting systems. 

The annual report The Public's View 2001 says the number of respondents with internet access at home has also risen significantly - from 18% in 2000 to 35% in 2001. 


Ownership of personal computers was said to have risen from 29% to 39%, and of DVD players from 5% to 17%. 

However, 53% of people surveyed said they were not able to access the internet. 

Of those with internet access, 62% used the net daily or several times a week - but 5% said they never used it. 

Television ownership continued to rise, with 76% of viewers having more than one TV set and 18% having more than four. 

Television remained people's main source of world news - 66% cited TV, 16% newspapers and 14% radio. 

Yet the nearer the news was to home, the more likely people were to have read about it. 

Newspapers, on 46%, overtook TV, on 28%, as the main source of local news. 

Regional variations 

People's consumption of national news was more complicated. 

Regional variations were significant - 73% of people in northern England, for example, cited television as their main news source, against 61% of Welsh and 60% of Scottish viewers. 

Meanwhile, 41% of viewers across the country said they thought advertisements were too loud. 

The only category of home entertainment equipment to actually decline in popularity was the video games console. 

Ownership of games consoles fell, for the second consecutive year, to 27%. 

The Public's View 2001 was the third annual report of its kind for the ITC and BSC. 


Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/hi/english/entertainment/tv_and_radio/newsid_1869000/1869108.stm