[Red Moon]

Channel 4 suffers post-Big Brother blues

A fortnight after the end of Big Brother, Channel 4's share of TV viewing fell to its lowest level for 15 years.

The channel attracted a 7.4% share of the audience in the week beginning Monday September 17, compared with an average of 9.8% in the whole of 2006.

It is believed to be the lowest weekly audience share recorded by the channel since at least 1992.

Channel 4's share of the all-important 16- to-34-year-olds and ABC1 audience has also suffered.

It drew 8.5% of the audience among 16- to-34-year-olds in the week beginning September 17, compared with an average in 2006 of 12.6%. It was the station's worst performance among this demographic since the first week of 2002.

Among ABC1 viewers, Channel 4's average audience for the week was 7.4%, compared with an average of 10% last year. It was half a percentage point lower than the previous ABC1 low of 7.9%.

A Channel 4 spokesman said its weekly share rose from 7.4% to 7.7% when ratings for its newly-launched timeshift channel, Channel 4+1, were incorporated.

"All terrestrial channels are feeling the pressure of declining ratings as digital penetration increases, and figures should be seen in this context," said the spokesman.

"However, a single week isn't a reliable measurement of performance. In contrast to all other terrestrial broadcasters, Channel 4 has grown its share of the total TV market since 2003, with portfolio share up 14%.

"We continue to have the highest profile of 16-to 34-year-olds of all the terrestrial channels, and remain the most upmarket of the major commercial broadcasters."

Big Brother, one of the channel's summer ratings staples, finished at the end of August with the least popular final of all eight series, with 5.3 million viewers watching Brian Belo crowned winner.

The channel's director of television and content, Kevin Lygo, announced a "creative overhaul" of the channel in August, announcing his intention to axe almost all of the channel's 9pm reality and factual entertainment programmes. Big Brother will return next year, but Celebrity Big Brother has been shelved.

Source:MediaGuardian