What's
This Channel 4?
Episode 3
The third episode in the series looks back at the 'day in the life' featured in the first two programmes. We discover how successful the Channel has been in attracting an audience and we also find out what the audience thought about the programmes that were broadcast. We then look forward to examine where Channel 4 is going, in the age of multi-channel and multi-platform broadcasting. In short we ask the question, 'What's this channel for?' The views of three crucial groups are sought: the viewers, the advertisers and the executives of the Channel itself.
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The programme starts with an explanation of how television ratings are interpreted and how different segments of the Channel 4 market are targeted. Four programmes are discussed, which all have a different audience profile and have achieved varying degrees of success. The difficulties of Channel 4's failing breakfast programme, 'RI:SE' are considered, as are the relative successes of 'Channel 4 News' and 'The Big Dig'. We see inside a focus group being conducted to evaluate audience reactions to developments inside the 'Big Brother' house. We end with a wider discussion of the future of Channel 4 with contributions from Mark Thompson, the Channel's Chief Executive.
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This series examines the role of a national media institution in the production of media texts for a range of media audiences. For those who wish to encourage students to engage with institutional case studies, this series and the accompanying website should provide a range of up-to date and stimulating material. This particular programme will be useful to the vast majority of media students who are studying the media industries or television production. The detailed explanation of TV ratings and the targeting and segmentation of media audiences will also be useful to most media students. Quantitative and qualitative audience research techniques are examined. The influence of advertising and marketing on the scheduling and commissioning of programmes is discussed. Those students who are researching the changes in the broadcasting environment in the last ten years will find material concerning the future of TV in Britain, as will those interested in the development of TV genres such as 'Reality TV.'
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Ratings
Ratings are very important to all broadcasters, but to a commercial service like Channel 4 they are critical. All of Channel 4's revenue comes from advertising. If Channel 4 cannot show that it has enough viewers, or enough of the kind of viewers that advertisers want to target, then advertising revenue will fall
BARB (Broadcasters' Audience Research Board) is the main source of television audience data in the UK. BARB was set up in 1981 to provide audience measurement for television broadcasters and the advertising industry
The Television Measurement Service
BARBs' measurement service provides minute-by-minute television audience data on the channels being watched in the UK
Viewing estimates are obtained from a panel of 5,100 households representing the entire range of audience categories
Audience Categories
The main audience categories are: individuals, adults, men, women, children, and housewives. These are further subdivided by age and social class
The social grades are:
AB – higher (A) and middle (B) management, administrative or professional
C1 – supervisory, clerical, and junior management
C2 – skilled manual workers
DE – Semi skilled & unskilled workers and non wage earners
The age divisions used are:
4-9 years; 10-15; 16-24; 25-34; 35-44; 45-54; 55-64 and 55+
BARB calculates the 'TVR' for each of these audiences
TVR (Television Rating)
The TVR is the percentage of the total number of those that could view the channel, who are actually watching. If as an example a soap opera achieves a '16-34 TVR of 30 in Scotland', this means that 30% of all 16-34 year olds in Scotland watched on average a minute of that episode
The Channel 4 schedule may only attract 5-10% of the total TV audience of 55 million, but Channel 4 is watched heavily by the 'young' and the 'upmarket'. These audience segments are very attractive to advertisers
Young
The BARB definition of 'Youth' is those audience members who are included in the 16-24 and the 25-34 age groups
The UK has a 'Universe' (total population) of 7.3 million 16-34 year olds. Channel 4 often attracts 15% of this audience. Young people watch far less TV than the rest of the population and are therefore difficult for TV advertisers to reach
Upmarket
The BARB definition of 'upmarket' is the section of the populations who are in the A, B and C1 socio-economic groups. This consists of approximately 22.5 million people. The obvious attraction of this group to advertisers is that they have a higher disposable income. This group also watches less TV than average. Channel 4 often attracts 10-12% of this audience
Focus Groups
The TV Ratings produced by organizations such as BARB, are an example of quantitative data. Sometimes however broadcasters also want qualitative data about media audiences
The most common method currently used to get this kind of information by employing 'the focused group interview' technique developed by the US Sociologist Robert Merton
'To really "get under the skin" of ('Big Brother') viewers and viewing behavior, we want to find out what is driving their response to the show and how their response develops over the course of the series.'
Linda Hancock, Research Manager of Quaestor
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This episode contains a detailed account of the TV ratings system and the way that the measurement of television audiences is used to determine channel output. The 'What's This Channel 4?' site has a Flash-based interactive scheduling exercise which can be incorporated into an exploration of scheduling for the specific market segments covered in the episode.
Before starting the simulation on a PC, teachers are advised to ask students to read the 'Audience' section of the 'What's This Channel 4?' website, especially 'Scheduling for the Channel 4 audience'. The 'Audience Data' information on the Channel 4 Advertising site and the 'Scheduling' section of the '4Producers' site are also very revealing.
Ask students to try scheduling for each audience segment in turn and get them to print out the chart produced at the end of the exercise. The printouts can form the basis of a fruitful classroom discussion.
For anyone studying the qualitative or quantitative analysis of TV Audiences, this section provides a useful summary. A detailed account of the use of focus groups in 'Big Brother' is also included.
The 'Ratings Game' is a simple and addictive exercise, best played by individuals. Teachers can use the game to open up a discussion of TV Genres and their differing popularity amongst different audience segments. Ask students to print out the finished ratings charts and compare the choices of the different audiences.
'Raw' audience data is included on the website for students to analyse and discuss. The BARB website contains a range of up to date material as well as a detailed account of their methodology.
Episode three also contains a discussion of the future of commercial broadcasting. The 'History' section of the website contains a number of questions that could form the basis of classroom discussion or written work.
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This web page contains links to other websites that are neither controlled nor maintained by Channel 4 Television. Channel 4 Television is not responsible for the content of these sites and does not necessarily endorse the material on them.
CHANNEL 4 ADVERTISING SITE
www.in4mer.com/
4PRODUCERS
www.channel4.com/4producers/
BARB
www.barb.co.uk
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