Memorandum submitted by the Independent
Television Commission (ITC)
1. This memorandum is submitted by the ITC
to the Select Committee to assist further in its investigation
into the future of News at Ten and should be read in conjunction
with the ITC's previous submission to the Select Committee published
in its Ninth Report of 3 November 1998 (Appendix 2).
ITV'S PROPOSALS
2. ITV approached the ITC in September 1998
requesting the ITC's approval to changes in the weekday evening
schedule. ITV's proposals included replacing the 5.40 pm Early
Evening News and News at Ten with news programmes starting
at 6.30 pm and 11.00 pm. The proposals were intended to improve
ITV's peak-time performance and address the decline in audiences
from 10 pm, by introducing greater diversity (adult comedy, documentaries
and current affairs programmes, as well as long form drama and
film) into the9.00 pm to 11.00 pm slots.
3. At the time the Channel 3 licences were
granted, each licensee had committed itself to providing an early
evening national news programme on weekdays as well as a peak-time
news bulletin. A majority of the licensees had stated their intention
to play their peak-time news at 10.00 pm. Any change to this commitment
required the ITC's consent.
THE BROADCASTING
ACTS
4. Under the Broadcasting Acts, Channel
3 licensees are required to broadcast live and simultaneous news
programmes of high quality dealing with national and international
matters, at intervals and in particular, at peak viewing times.
The ITC's long standing definition of peak is 6.00 pm to 10.30
pm. ITV's news services must also be able to compete effectively
with those of other national news broadcasters.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
AND RESEARCH
5. Recognising that ITV's proposals were
of great public interest, before reaching a decision, the ITC
launched a public consultation and commissioned both quantitative
and qualitative research. 1,807 responses to the consultation
were received, mostly in favour of retention of the News at
Ten. The research commissioned demonstrated that whilst viewers
clearly had an attachment to News at Ten, they also welcomed
the proposed changes, which would permit the diversity to the
schedule that ITV was seeking to achieve. The commitment to and
audience for News at Ten was skewed towards higher age
groups, with younger age groups being much more flexible on when
and how they watched news.
THE ITC'S
APPROVAL
6. In deciding whether to approve the changes,
each Member of the Commission was given an opportunity to speak
and vote on the matter. Particular account was taken of the effect
of the proposals on:
(a) the provision of high quality national
and international news, assurances having been given by ITV that
the range and quality of the main news bulletins would not be
affected by changes in their timing;
(b) diversity in the ITV schedule and the
likely appeal to viewers of the totality of the proposals; and
(c) the provision and quality of regional
programming.
7. There was full discussion of all the
relevant factors. These included the ability of ITV to continue
to deliver its varied public service requirements and the highly
competitive multi-channel television environment in which broadcasters
are now operating. Accordingly the ability to adapt to the ever
changing needs of viewers was a critical factor in arresting a
decline in audience share.
8. After careful consideration, the Members
agreed, on a majority vote, that ITV should have the opportunity
to put their proposals for change to the test. Broadcasting was
an evolving industry and the ITC needed to take a reasonable and
flexible approach and allow ITV to make its own judgements about
how best to sustain its competitive position, an essential prerequisite
for retaining the funding for quality programmes. It was also
felt that in a market of rapidly changing technology it was becoming
increasingly anachronistic for a regulator to determine detailed
programme scheduling. The conditions placed on the ITC's approval
are reflected below.
THE REVIEW
PROCESS
9. It is almost 12 months since the ITC
implemented the changes and the ITC is now reviewing the impact
of the new scheduling pattern on viewers and, in particular, assessing
whether ITV has fulfilled the conditions determined last year.
A range of research has been commissioned as well as a variety
of performance indicators which will be assessed. The review will
concentrate on the following matters:
(a) Whether the funding for and the range
and quality of national and international news has been diminished.
(b) Whether ITV's news services have maintained
the ability to compete effectively with those of other broadcasters,
particularly the BBC.
(c) Whether ITV's commitment to public service
values has been maintained and it has achieved the more diverse
range of programmes proposed from 9 pm to 11 pm.
(d) Whether the quality of regional programmes,
in particular news magazines, and their accessibility has been
maintained as a result of these changes.
10. It is, however, already clear from the
statistics available to date that ITV has been successful in arresting
its long term decline in peak-time audience share arising from
competition from multi-channel television and new entrants such
as Channel 5.
11. It will, however, be the second quarter
of this year before the ITC is in a position of deciding whether
the above criteria have been met. Given the timing of the review,
it would be difficult to discuss in detail the ITC's current thinking
with the Committee but we would welcome any comments from the
Committee on the key criteria we have adopted in conducting the
review.
12. In the event that the ITC did consider
that ITV were not meeting the conditions set down last year, ITV
will be expected to take the necessary measures to meet these
conditions.
CHANNEL SHARES IN ALL UK HOMES, 6.00 PM TO
10.30 PM WEEKDAYS (PEAK-TIME, AS DEFINED BY THE ITC), MARCH TO
DECEMBER 1998 AND 1999
|
| Channel | 1998
| 1999 |
|
| BBC1 | 30.7
| 29.9 |
| BBC2 | 10.6
| 10.5 |
| ITV | 36.8
| 36.2 |
| Channel Four | 8.0
| 8.1 |
| Channel 5 | 4.2
| 4.9 |
| Other | 9.7
| 10.4 |
|
CHANNEL SHARES IN ALL UK HOMES, 7.00 PM TO 11.00 PM WEEKDAYS
(THE COMPLETE PERIOD BETWEEN THE EVENING NEWS AND THE NIGHTLY
NEWS), MARCH TO DECEMBER 1998 AND 1999
|
| Channel | 1998
| 1999 |
|
| BBC1 | 30.2
| 29.0 |
| BBC2 | 9.9
| 9.6 |
| ITV | 36.9
| 37.0 |
| Channel Four | 8.6
| 8.3 |
| Channel 5 | 4.7
| 5.6 |
| Other | 9.8
| 10.5 |
|
AVERAGE AUDIENCES IN MILLIONS FOR THE TWO MAIN NEWS PROGRAMMES
ON ITV AND ON BBC1
|
| ITV
| | | |
| BBC1 |
| |
| 17.40-18.30
| 22.00-23.00
| 18.00 |
21.00 |
| Month | 1998-99
| 1999-2000 | 1998-99
| 1999-2000 | 1998-99
| 1999-2000 | 1998-99
| 1999-2000 |
|
| April | 4.4 |
5.5 | 5.7
| 3.7 | 5.7
| 6.7 | 5.1
| 6.0 |
| May | 3.7 |
5.2 | 5.4
| 3.4 | 5.0
| 6.0 | 4.8
| 5.0 |
| June | 4.4 |
4.7 | 6.4
| 3.1 | 5.6
| 5.5 | 4.7
| 5.3 |
| July | 3.8 |
4.6 | 5.4
| 3.2 | 5.1
| 5.1 | 5.1
| 4.9 |
| August | 3.9
| 4.9 | 5.6
| 3.1 | 5.0
| 5.5 | 5.8
| 5.2 |
| September | 3.8
| 4.9 | 5.2
| 3.3 | 5.5
| 5.7 | 5.3
| 5.0 |
| October | 4.1
| 5.5 | 5.5
| 3.4 | 6.0
| 6.6 | 4.9
| 5.6 |
| November | 4.6
| 5.9 | 5.4
| 3.0 | 6.5
| 6.9 | 5.4
| 4.9 |
| December | 4.7
| 5.8 | 6.2
| 3.1 | 6.5
| 6.9 | 5.4
| 5.4 |
| January | 5.0
| 6.0 | 6.0
| 3.1 | 6.5
| 6.9 | 5.1
| 5.2 |
| February | 4.6
| — | 6.0
| — | 6.6
| — | 5.2
| — |
|
INFORMATION REQUESTED ON THE TOTAL TV AUDIENCE (UPDATING
FIGURES PUBLISHED AS ANNEX 3 TO THE COMMITTEE'S LAST REPORT ON
NEWS AT TEN)
|
| October to
December
1998
| January to
March
1999
| April to
June
1999
| July to
September
1999
| October to
December
1999
|
| M-F
Total TV
| M-F
Total TV
| M-F
Total TV
| M-F
Total TV
| M-F
Total TV
|
|
| 17.00-17.14 | 13,271.8
| 12,866.6 | 10,962.3
| 10,079.1 | 13,327.1
|
| 17.15-17.29 | 14,547.0
| 14,286.3 | 11,966.6
| 11,121.5 | 14,502.8
|
| 17.30-17.44 | 16,554.8
| 16,238.9 | 13,408.2
| 12,440.8 | 15,951.9
|
| 17.45-17.59 | 18,417.8
| 18,241.2 | 14,956.2
| 13,976.5 | 17,504.7
|
| 18.00-18.14 | 19,445.8
| 19,544.4 | 16,273.9
| 15,405.6 | 18,990.5
|
| 18.15-18.29 | 20,184.5
| 20,522.2 | 17,009.3
| 16,254.6 | 19,890.4
|
| 18.30-18.44 | 20,445.8
| 20,948.7 | 17,392
| 16,722.9 | 20,420.6
|
| 18.45-18.59 | 20,783.1
| 21,273.1 | 17,728
| 17,002.1 | 20,853.7
|
| 19.00-19.14 | 22,200.6
| 22,645.0 | 19,052.5
| 18,023.8 | 22,092.6
|
| 19.15-19.29 | 23,016.3
| 23,525.9 | 20,055.2
| 19,061.9 | 22,984.3
|
| 19.30-19.44 | 23,869.1
| 24,867.2 | 21,245.7
| 20,513.6 | 23,805.7
|
| 19.45-19.59 | 24,468.1
| 25,670.7 | 22,189.6
| 21,490.8 | 24,619.2
|
| 20.00-20.14 | 24,420.3
| 26,071.1 | 22,074.2
| 21,495.3 | 24,779.8
|
| 20.15-20.29 | 24,815.9
| 26,543.4 | 22,616.5
| 22,012.5 | 25,235.9
|
| 20.30-20.44 | 24,776.3
| 25,620.3 | 22,570.5
| 21,772.7 | 25,036
|
| 20.45-20.59 | 24,965.8
| 25,619.0 | 23,006.2
| 22,200 | 25,250.8
|
| 21.00-21.14 | 23,967.4
| 24,908.7 | 23,077.3
| 22,130.6 | 24,475.5
|
| 21.15-21.29 | 23,966.6
| 24,953.4 | 23,373.1
| 22,434.2 | 24,481.7
|
| 21.30-21.44 | 23,617.2
| 24,388.2 | 23,104.1
| 22,193.5 | 24,033.8
|
| 21.45-21.59 | 23,336.4
| 24,009.6 | 22,748
| 22,004.4 | 23,589.2
|
| 22.00-22.14 | 21,440.3
| 21,757.9 | 21,245.1
| 20,730.9 | 21,915.3
|
| 22.15-22.29 | 20,003.3
| 20,241.1 | 20,076.2
| 19,570.1 | 20,486.4
|
| 22.30-22.44 | 17,607.8
| 17,431.3 | 17,608
| 16,963.4 | 18,241.8
|
| 22.45-22.59 | 15,033.2
| 14,879.5 | 15,476.6
| 15,054.1 | 16,396.3
|
| 23.00-23.14 | 12,813.9
| 12,420.9 | 12,715.9
| 12,485.3 | 13,301.9
|
| 23.15-23.29 | 10,918.8
| 10,503.6 | 10,430.4
| 10,424.6 | 11,310.4
|
| 23.30-23.44 | 9,278.0
| 8,928.5 | 8,342.1
| 8,381.8 | 9,308.2
|
| 23.45-23.59 | 7,588.3
| 7,334.5 | 6,896.6
| 7,003.1 | 7,989.5
|
|
| February 2000 |
|
