Media Nations 2019
This is Ofcom's second annual Media Nations report.
The report reviews key trends in the television and video sector as well as the radio and audio sector. In these reports we provide data and analysis on traditional broadcast television and radio services, and look at the take-up and impact of other types of video and audio that people can choose from.
The Media Nations report is a reference publication for industry, stakeholders, academics and consumers. It provides context to the work Ofcom undertakes in looking after the interests of people in the markets we regulate.
Media Nations: reports
Media Nations: UK (PDF, 8.9 MB)
Key points
- The pace of change in television raises questions about how UK viewers will be served in the future
- Viewer behaviour continues to shift towards alternatives to broadcast TV, in particular online video services
- Public service broadcasters remain the home of mass-reach UK-made programming
- PSB revenues are under pressure, but content investment has been buoyed by third-party funding
- Radio listening and revenues are holding up
- Digital radio continues to grow...
- But there are challenges for radio to focus on, with young people spending more time listening to online music streaming services
Media Nations: Northern Ireland (PDF, 5.1 MB)
Key points
- People in Northern Ireland watched less broadcast TV than those in any other UK nation
- Two-thirds of TV households have a television set connected to the internet
- More than half of all broadcast TV viewing in Northern Ireland in 2018 was to the main PSB channels
- Up to a fifth of respondents in Northern Ireland with a TV in their home claimed to watch one of the Irish channels at least weekly
- More than three-quarters of PSB viewers in Northern Ireland were satisfied with PSB provision in 2018 (77%)
- Spend on programming for Northern Ireland by the BBC and UTV combined decreased by 6% in real terms in 2018 to £27.4m
- Adults in Northern Ireland are more likely than those in any other nation to listen to the radio, with 93% tuning in each week
Media Nations: Scotland (PDF, 4.1 MB)
Key points
- On average, people in Scotland watched 3 hours 33 minutes of broadcast TV in 2018 – 13 minutes less than in 2017
- More than half of TV households in Scotland had a television connected to the internet in 2019
- More than half of all broadcast TV viewing in Scotland in 2018 was to the main PSB channels
- Around three-quarters of PSB viewers in Scotland were satisfied with PSB provision in 2018 (73%)
- BBC, STV and ITV combined spend on programming for viewers in Scotland declined in real terms by 3% in 2018 to £53.3m
- More than eight in ten adults listen to the radio each week, tuning in for nearly 20 hours every week
Media Nations: Wales (PDF, 4.4 MB)
Gwledydd y Cyfryngau: Cymru (PDF, 6.3 MB)
Key points
- On average, people in Wales watched 3 hours 33 minutes of broadcast TV in 2018 – nine minutes less than in 2017
- Nearly half (48%) of TV households in Wales have a television connected to the internet
- More than half of all broadcast TV viewing in Wales in 2018 was to the main PSB channels
- Nearly three-quarters of PSB viewers in Wales were satisfied with PSB provision in 2018
- BBC and ITV Wales’ combined spend on programming for Wales increased by 13% in 2018 to £33.6m
- Nine in ten adults listen to live radio each week in Wales, tuning in for more than 22 hours every week
Interactive report
This accompanying data report provides interactive access to an extensive range of data.