Funferal

Growth of niche TV channels in UK

Intriguing line in yesterday’s Media Briefing from the Guardian (UK):

The five traditional television networks have been overtaken for the first time by the combined weight of smaller, specialist channels.

The detail provides a less striking story:

The total audience share for all non-terrestrial broadcasters was greater than any of the “big five” last week – though less than half the country has access to multi-channel television.According to figures from the audience research company Barb, multi-channel TV accounted for 26.1% of all viewing in the week ending April 20, against a 23.9% share for BBC1 and 23.8% for ITV1.

So the combination of the niche stations is slightly bigger than one of the top five. Any two of the top five would outweigh all of the stations lower down. Having said this it is, as the story says, a sign of the growth of niche channels.