Digital
terrestrial achieves biggest ever audience
Speaking
at the FT New Media & Broadcasting conference today (Tuesday
4 March 2003), Andy Duncan, Director, BBC Marketing and Communications,
reveals how more people than ever are watching digital terrestrial
television; pinpoints Freeview as the most important thing the BBC
did last year; and highlights imminent marketing plans for the BBC's
digital services.
Commenting
on how Freeview is already more successful than ITV Digital, with
sales of adapters around 500,000, in just over four months, Andy
Duncan said:
"None
of us would have predicted that in the BARB panel for March 2003
- the estimated number of live digital terrestrial homes would be
nearly 1.4 million...
"Overall
this now leaves Freeview bigger than the highest ever ITV digital
levels".*
Duncan went on to express the significance of Freeview's launch.
"Launching
Freeview along with our partners Crown Castle and Sky was probably
the most important thing that we did at the BBC last year.
"It
provides a key missing piece of the jigsaw in moving to a fully
digital Britain.
"There
is now a major new way for millions of our licence fee payers to
receive all our services, and the Freeview format appeals to the
very audiences that had previously been least likely to go digital."
Finally
Duncan outlined the importance of ensuring BBC audiences know what
services are available, and where, through the legitimate use of
modern marketing.
"...
Over
the years ahead, the BBC will continue to promote our digital channels
and services, and information on how you can get them.
"Indeed
our next campaign for our whole digital TV line up starts later
this month - and will run right through till after Easter."
Notes
to Editors
*The
1.4 million digital terrestrial homes is made up of a combination
of two groups.
Former
ITV Digital customers who are still viewing digital services - albeit
now for free - on boxes which they now own, and new consumers who
have come into the market in the last year, in particular since
the launch of Freeview, and bought a new style adapter.
A
full copy of Andy Duncan's speech is available.
The
Freeview line up now includes the BBC's eight digital television
channels - BBC ONE, BBC TWO, BBC THREE, BBC FOUR, CBeebies, CBBC,
BBC News 24 and BBC Parliament - plus interactivity from BBCi and
11 BBC radio networks - BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, BBC
Radio 4, BBC Radio Five Live, Five Live Sports Extra, 1Xtra, 6 Music,
BBC 7, BBC World Service (in English) and the BBC Asian Network.
Freeview
is managed by a consortium - DTV services Ltd - comprising the BBC,
Crown Castle and BSkyB as equal partners.
All
of the BBC's digital services are available on cable, satellite
and Freeview, the simple way to get digital television. It offers
UK homes up to 30 digital channels (tv and text), plus interactivity
and 16 radio networks, all free and delivered to televisions through
rooftop aerials.
BBC
Radios 1-4 now available on Freeview (12.02.03)
BBC
World Service on Freeview digital line-up (27.10.02)
Freeview
to launch on 30 October (03.10.02)
BBC
and Crown Castle name "Freeview" (19.08.02)
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