Tag Archive for: TV

The key takeaways from the Charlesbye report into UK news habits

“Twice as many young people get their news from TikTok than the BBC”, shout the BBC’s rivals today – it’s the headline from a report by Charlesbye into the nation’s news habits.

In fact, it has similar findings to the Ofcom news consumption report from 2 years ago: more people, especially younger people, are getting their ‘news’ from social media than, say, sitting to watch the Six.

I say ‘news’, as what is new, informative and interesting can vary upon personal interest – and it isn’t restricted anymore to a selection of stories delivered in a newspaper, homepage or TV bulletin.

Instagram is more popular for news than TikTok, says Charlesbye report into news habits

The coverage of this report is slightly misleading too – Instagram is still the most popular platform for 18-24 year olds to get their ‘news’, despite Charlesbye branding one of their audience segments ‘Generation TikTok’. And Facebook is still king, overall.

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Why Channel 4 is changing to appeal more to younger audiences

“I’ve maybe heard of E4 – that’s probably about it. I don’t really watch anything on it. I think there are comedies or something on it… Probably my mum watches”
Channel 4, the dramas. (Girl aged 14, England)

I’ve always thought that Channel 4 was a channel with attitude, an innovator and did well at appealing to their younger audiences. Hey, look at their funny Threads account! But I’m 41.

In some fascinating, but underreported, research carried out by STRAT7 Rainmakers for Ofcom, these more youthful target groups appear to not feel the same way.

It’s the same issue that all broadcasters – and organisations with communications strategies – are facing. It’s why Channel 4 is looking to make changes to its licence as it transitions from being mainly linear to more of a digital outlet.

Younger audiences are typically less engaged and aware of what Channel 4 does

Of the 18-24 year olds surveyed, it appears they didn’t tend to watch Channel 4 on TV, or check out its streaming platforms – preferring Netflix, Disney, YouTube and TikTok for their entertainment.

They were aware, when prompted, of some of the content on its platforms, but they didn’t clearly associate them with Channel 4, but accidentally with rival services instead.

Audiences expect a better quality streaming service

“40D is atrocious..honestly, it’s slow, you can’t fast forward from one segment to another, if you do then you’ve got to watch 3 minutes of adverts and if you want to watch a programme halfway through you’ve got to watch loads of adverts. It crashes, it’s not user friendly, you can’t look at recently released by category – It’s not user friendly it’s old… it’s like internet explorer before it was Edge.” (Female, London, 22-34, ABC1, medium C4C user)

Channel 4’s streaming services have undergone some transformations over the years, from 4OD, to All 4, to Channel4.com.

It’s no surprise that those surveyed are watching more of its content digitally, but they view it more of a catch-up service than a streaming service, where they would be ‘inspired’ by the selections on offer.

And the Channel 4 platforms were seen as “off-putting”: harder to browse, suffering from more glitches and too many ads, compared to its streaming rivals.

It’s a challenge to Channel 4, whose income solely comes from commercial revenues. Younger audiences are reported to find the ads repetitive, too frequent and the breaks too long. Being digitally native, they’re not brought up on ad breaks on commercial TV like us older lot have been.

They didn’t regard Channel 4 Entertainment as a go-to destination on YouTube as they prefer to consume content differently, through algorithms and recommendations. But they like to watch clips of popular shows.

Channel 4 appears less appealing for younger audiences

“Disney+ is where I watch most of my series and TikTok. If I ever have a free
minute that’s what I spend time scrolling on.” (Female, Belfast, 18-21, C2DE, light C4C user)

Like other Public Sector Broadcasters, it tries to appeal to all audiences, which is important from a regulation perspective, but tricky for a brand.

Although most of those surveyed saw its target audience as ‘younger’ (around mid-20s upwards), some of the youngest who took part in the study saw it as more for their parents’ generation.

A longer-term concern was that 10-15 year olds did not proactively consider Channel 4 to watch content.

A brand identity issue?

Of the PSBs, Channel 4 was traditionally seen as being more boundary-pushing, progressive, diverse and innovative. But that’s coming under threat from other streaming services pursuing similar values, particularly with the aim of appealing to younger people.

But the research said Channel 4 “would be missed if they no longer existed”, being seen as less establishment, championing diverse and challenging viewpoints, providing gritty and authentic news and documentaries, and offering a wide range of good quality, British-made programmes for free.

And there was particular support for, and brand association with, its Paralympics coverage, reflecting its values of diversity and inclusion.

And Channel 4 News was praised for how it connected with its viewers, holding power to account and the way it reported events in the UK and around the world. Although over-30s were more likely to watch its appointment to view shows, mainly the 7pm programme, it’s received acclaim (and awards) for its social and digital output, where younger generations are more likely to get their news.

It appears its request to remove its lunchtime bulletin and reduce TV commitment to current affairs would allow it to divert those resources into its digital content.

Not just a Channel 4 issue

“Channel 4 remains a key part of the UK’s broadcasting ecology”, notes Ofcom, being rated highly by audiences and “[continuing] to deliver content promoting new and diverse voices and perspectives and to play a crucial role in supporting the creative economy outside London.”

The issues the broadcaster faces are ones similar to the BBC, ITV and other brands and organisations – look at Ofcom’s report on the BBC needing to do more to appeal to working classes.

It’s why Channel 4 has asked for changes to some of its existing licence obligations to invest more in its digital growth and transformation (while also providing for those who still watch their programmes in the more ‘traditional’ TV way.)

You can take part in the consultation to its proposed changes on Ofcom’s website.

We’re all having to change the ways we reach and engage our audiences – for some target groups, it’s a matter of urgency. If you’d like to chat about how I can help you navigate through these unsettling times, get in touch.

Ofcom Media Nations report: Live TV isn’t dead – our habits are evolving

I read some of the headlines and dramatic opinion pieces forecasting the death of live TV that followed the publication of the 2023 Ofcom Media Nations report, as if it had been a bolt out of the blue.

We still watch live, linear TV for the big moments, says Ofcom Media Nations report

Gone are the days of regular mass audience viewing, with a dramatic increase in the multitude of platforms and specialist shows now available to us to enjoy.

But this isn’t to say the country doesn’t still come together for the big moments: England losing in the quarter finals of the World Cup was the most-watched programme last year, followed by the Queen’s funeral and Platinum Jubilee.

Ofcom top 10 most watched programmes in the UK in 2022

There are more demands than ever for our attention, but when it matters, we still turn to the TV for a ”shared viewing experience”.

It’s just that the concept of ‘TV’ has evolved, driven by technological change. Despite all the drama, broadcasters maintained their share of video viewers (60%) due to the growth of on-demand platforms.

Interestingly, of all the viewing to BBC One’s broadcasting of the Platinum Jubilee, 12% was via iPlayer. And the 8th series of Love Island attracted 39% of its audience on what was then ITV Hub.

And it isn’t just a ‘young person’s thing’; for the first time, Ofcom recorded a big decline in broadcast TV viewing among over-64s.

What’s happened is that we’re offered more choice of content based on our specialised interests, now fitting around our hectic lifestyles – why shouldn’t we take advantage of that, rather than being chained to what time a programme starts on TV?

How radio has embraced the changes to listening

Global Player ad

Radio is experiencing changes too but seemingly adapting to them better.

Live radio is still the most popular form of audio, but we’re enjoying the different ways we can listen, be it on catch-up or streaming.

And online options have recently overtaken analogue in popularity, with smart speakers quickly catching up (DAB is still the most popular device.)

Despite the changes, the power of radio to connect the presenter with the listener remains very strong – in fact, commercial radio has never enjoyed such a high percentage share of listeners. The recent RAJARs show how we are increasingly seeking stations that fit our moods and interests – Greatest Hits Radio exploiting the gap in the market to appeal to disillusioned Radio 2 listeners, for example.

Radio stations and groups are embracing these changes, becoming multimedia powerhouses – diversifying into successful podcasts and social video like Global, or offering ad-free listens through their own apps, like Bauer, which allow them to gather better audience data and generate additional revenue.

 

‘News’ on social media can mean a lot of things

Ofcom: short social media videos watched by genre

The one area of the report that I would like further detail was on social media. It claims news is the second most popular type of social media video amongst the over 15s – but ‘news’ is a very broad category; it can range from Ukraine to the legal row over Lizzo and the latest Liverpool transfer gossip.

And video formats and content types vary wildly on different platforms – what we watch on TikTok is different to YouTube.

Users watch a lot of video on social media says Ofcom report

I question the notion that short-form content is best and most-watched. Concise and snackable may be fine for one type of topic, but longer videos and podcasts are popular too, if engaging enough. I recently saw how Times Radio recorded 1 million views on YouTube for an hour long discussion on Russia. And some podcasts, like Joe Rogan’s and some of my wrestling ones, go on for several hours.

 

Ofcom: time spent per day on social media platforms, by age

There’s a reminder again of the importance of YouTube, a neglected platform for some news publishers and businesses. We all are aware of the popularity of TikTok – still a thorny issue for politicians and the government, who feel paralysed to get involved in any form. I’ve been testing videos aimed at older generations (40 years since Knightrider started, for example) and there is clearly a growing older audience on there; it’s not just a ‘young person’s platform’.

 

@timtokgatt This is how Hoff met KITT… Iconic 80s programme – who didn’t want a talking car? And great theme tune too #knightrider #knightriderkitt #davidhasselhoff #michaelknight #80s #80sTV #TV #TVshow #1980s #USTV #ustvclips #ustvshow #tvclips #kitt #car #carsoftiktok ♬ original sound – TimTok Gatt

We shouldn’t forget about Snapchat, which is still very popular even though it’s fallen out of the spotlight – but no mention of Twitter as a video format, strangely.

How TV news needs to adapt to the changes in viewership

I watched a clip of Sky News’ report on this study (on Twitter), which claimed that TV news is still the place for big breaking stories. I’m not so sure. Twitter and TikTok are faster and quicker in terms of updates and video, albeit less reliable, on most stories. I agree for the huge moments, like the death of the Queen, we do switch on the TV but will still be on our phones too.

The challenge for rolling news channels and other content providers is how to adapt how they do things to the ever-changing environment; my old boss John Ryley used to talk about the need for constant change:

It’s not the cleverest or biggest news organisation that succeeds but the one most adaptable to change.

It’s no surprise that GB News is rivalling them in the evenings with strong opinionated current affairs programmes, when it’s just competing against a re-run of news reports. Being bold and shaking things up in how TV news is done, taking in some of the storytelling and production elements of social media, could boost viewership – and I don’t mean just in terms of linear viewing.

What does this mean for us trying to connect with audiences? It means that more so now than ever, a ‘one size fit all’ approach very rarely works. You need to segment who you are trying to target and engage them with different forms of content and messaging, adapted to the platform they’re watching or listening on.

Grabbing their attention is key – be it the visuals, the captions or the post copy, And always think of the person you’re trying to attract – why would they stop scrolling or flicking around and watch, read or listen to your content?

And like these Ofcom findings – be informed by the data but also trust your judgment and experience.

The 2023 Ofcom Media Nations report is here.

You may be interested in 7 practical takeaways from Ofcom’s Online Nation report