Category: News
Date: 12.12.2005
Printable version
The BBC received a record-breaking number of eye-witness accounts and pictures from viewers who experienced first hand the dramatic explosions at the Buncefield oil depot in Hertfordshire on Sunday morning, 11 December 2005.
The morning's events also generated an increase in viewing figures as audiences turned to the BBC for news on the blasts.
Across Sunday BBC News 24 achieved its highest daily reach of the year with 4.7 million individuals, a 2.1 per cent share. In comparison Sky reached 4.1 million viewers, a 1.8% share.
News coverage on BBC ONE also achieved high audiences. In multi-channel homes Breakfast peaked with 1.2 million at 8.45am (Sky News 189,000).
In all homes News 24's Breakfast simulcast on BBC ONE peaked at two million viewers.
BBC ONE achieved an average viewing figure of 1.0 million (40 per cent share) while GMTV averaged 108,000 (6% share).
Later in the day the main bulletins showed an increase in viewing figures - the early evening bulletin was watched by 5.6 million and the Ten O'Clock News achieved six million.
Peter Horrocks, Head of BBC TV News, says: "Audience support for BBC News on News 24 and BBC ONE yesterday establishes the BBC channels as Britain's leading two news channels.
"Since Sky News' relaunch Sky News has been trailing News 24 in audience share and reach.
"The oil fire depot is the first major domestic breaking news story since that relaunch. In this significant test, the audience turned to News 24 significantly ahead of Sky News.
"On the main channels the performance of the special Breakfast coverage and the BBC ONE evening bulletins confirmed BBC ONE as the channel that everyone turns to in times of crisis."
BBC Breakfast reporter Colin Campbell referred to a blast as it happened live on air at 6.03am while reporting from outside the Foreign Office.
The first picture came into the BBC at 6.19am, minutes after the initial explosion, with the first mobile phone video footage sent in at 6.23am.
BBC News received more than 6,500 emails to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - many with multiple images and video clips from mobile phones and digital cameras of the blaze at the oil depot.
On the day of the London bombings on 7 July the BBC's yourpics received around 1,000 images and mobile clips from the public.
Half a million unique users (525,808) accessed the News Player - the BBC's online news video service - for clips and footage on Sunday (second only to requests on 7 July).
The largest number of requests was for live footage streamed online and a news package by Gavin Hewitt.
In all, there were more than a quarter of a million requests for user generated material.
Pete Clifton, Head of BBC News Interactive, says: "The range of material we received from our readers was absolutely extraordinary.
"Video, still pictures and emails poured in from the moment the blast happened, and it played a central part in the way we reported the unfolding events."
On the BBC News website an index of user generated content (UGC) was made available in broadband.
On interactive television, digital satellite and cable users had a dedicated loop of UGC material while all digital television platforms, including Freeview, were able to see material as part of packaged coverage.
Rail travellers also got the opportunity to see user generated content via Maiden's multimedia marketing billboards in train stations across the UK.
Notes to Editors
During simulcasts BARB currently reports DSat viewing as viewing to News 24; excluding cable and Freeview.
The viewing in DCab, ACAB and DTT homes that should be attributed to News 24 is currently being attributed to BBC ONE.
In terms of requests for footage, the News Player figures referred to do not describe actual media usage and therefore do not represent the number of users who watched/listened to the media. They reflect the most requested media links on the site or from within the console which give an indication of user interest.
SS/NL
