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BBC
TWO named UK's Best Terrestrial Channel
BBC
TWO has been voted this year's best terrestrial channel at the Media
Guardian Edinburgh International TV Festival by an expert panel
of judges from across the media.
Described
as being "head and shoulders above the rest", the panel
said BBC TWO offered "brilliant comedy and lifestyle"
shows, adding: "Its output was amazing and growing".
Despite
tough competition from the expanding multichannel world, BBC TWO
has managed to maintain its share above 11% on a £410 million
budget.
It
has been widely recognised that under Jane Root's leadership
the channel has gone from strength to strength, excelling in every
genre.
Highlights
of the year include:
dramas
- Tipping The Velvet, The Gathering Storm, Flesh And Blood and The
Other Boleyn Girl;
factual
programmes - The Hunt For Britain's Paedophiles, The Fall Of
Milosevic, Great Britons and The Day Britain Stopped;
lifestyle
programmes - Living The Dream, What Not To Wear and the revitalised
Top Gear;
and
the best British comedy on UK television - from The Office
and I'm Alan Partridge to newcomers Dead Ringers, Doubletake and
Early Doors.
Says
Jane Root, Controller of BBC TWO: "I'm really pleased that
all the hard work of the BBC TWO team and the commissioners, programme
makers and contributors who help to make the channel so enjoyable
for the viewers, have been recognised by this award.
"We
have an important role to play within the portfolio of BBC TV channels
and it is fantastic to hear the industry say that we really know
our brand and audience.
"It's
this close relationship with our viewers that enables us to provide
surprising, thoughtful television which we know they will enjoy
- and believe me there is plenty more of that to come in the year
ahead."
Jane
Root became Controller of BBC TWO in January 1999 and was the first
female Channel Controller in the history of BBC Television.
During
her tenure as Controller, Jane has devised and implemented a repositioning
of BBC TWO.
This
moved BBC TWO away from its former role as a niche channel to a
mainstream programme provider committed to doing big ideas differently,
right at the heart of the multichannel world.
BBC
Director of Television Jana Bennett said BBC TWO was deservedly
voted this year's best terrestrial channel.
"It's
been a very creative and strong year for BBC TWO," she said.
"Jane
Root, the BBC TWO team, producers and commissioners all deserve
this recognition for working so hard to create a strong force amongst
terrestrial channels."
Jana
Bennett added that it was a remarkable achievement for BBC Television
that the award was further backed by UK History being named
best new channel and BBC FOUR being runner-up in the best
non-terrestrial channel of the year.
As
BBC FOUR approaches its 18 month anniversary, its share of audience
in multi channel homes over the past eight weeks has more than doubled
that of the same period last year.
With
a 75% increase in reach it is a strong indication that more people
are discovering and enjoying what the channel has to offer.
UK
History launched in October 2002 and since launch has maintained
an average share of 0.3% amongst adults in a very crowded and competitive
factual market place.
"Congratulations
to Roly Keating and his team in BBC FOUR and to Charlotte Ashton
and her team at UK History, it is a great achievement to have one
of our terrestrial channels and two of our non-terrestrial channels
recognised in this way," Jana Bennett said.
BBC
THREE was short-listed for Best New Channel and Cbeebies was short-listed
for Best Non-Terrestrial Channel.
Notes
to Editors
BBC
TWO Autumn press pack (30.07.03)
BBC
FOUR Autumn press pack (22.08.03)
All the
BBC's digital services are now available on Freeview,
the new free-to-view digital terrestrial television service, as well
as on satellite and cable.
Freeview
offers the BBC's eight television channels, interactive services
from BBCi, as well as 11 national BBC radio networks.
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