December 09, 2005
Media regulator Ofcom has announced that digital television is now watched in almost two-thirds of UK homes.
In Ofcom's third quarter results for digital television, digital viewing jumped by nearly 760,000 households in the third quarter to almost 16.5 million from 15.7 million at the end of the second quarter.
The main points:
- The number of BSkyB subscribers increased by 48,000 to reach 7,472,000 at the end of Q3 2005.
- There are now 5.7 million households with Freeview up from 5.2 million in the second quarter.
- The total number of subscribers to cable television decreased slightly during the quarter and is now just below 3.3 million.
- There are 545,000 free-to-view digital satellite homes. This figure includes viewers who are no longer Sky subscribers but still receive the public service channels through their set-top box.
- There are 6.3 million free-to-view digital households. (Freeview and free-to-view Sky).
The Government has already confirmed it plans to switch off the analogue television signal from 2008, aiming to complete the process by 2012.
Editor: Lakhvinder Baddhan Source: Ofcom
Channel 4 is planning to scrap the subscription fee for FilmFour and make the service free-to-air, carrying more advertising than in its current format.
Currently the channel is available at around £7 a month, which also comprises a timeshift channel and FilmFour Weekly.
FilmFour viewers would increase from 400,000 subscription homes to 15m homes with digital TV, is being considered by the Channel 4 chief executive, Andy Duncan, but no decision has been presented to the board.
Channel 4's entertainment channel E4 moved from subscription to Freeview in May and was rewarded with a doubling of its audience share.
Topic: 66% of UK watch digital TV (Read 1565 times)