TV broadcasting: data and research
Ofcom’s statutory duties include ensuring that:
- a wide range of high-quality television and radio programmes are provided, appealing to a range of tastes and interests;
- television and radio services are provided by a range of different organisations;
- people who watch television and listen to the radio are protected from harmful or offensive material; and
- people are protected from being treated unfairly in television and radio programmes, and from having their privacy invaded.
To provide us with the evidence we need to carry out these duties, we carry out and publish market and consumer research, and collect data.
Older research is available through the National Archives.
This report is the first one in fulfilling our new duty under the DEA and provides an assessment of the availability and discoverability of PSB and local TV content. It considers the range of TV platforms and devices that are available, how people watch TV, and how PSB content is discovered – including through channels, video on-demand players (such as BBC iPlayer or All 4) and through individual pieces of content available on-demand, for instance through recommendations or ‘top picks’.
This is the latest report from Ofcom’s annual Diversity in Broadcasting monitoring programme, looking at how well broadcasters are promoting equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusion in employment.
We commissioned a Rapid Evidence Assessment (PDF, 687.3 KB) of diversity research on public service broadcasting.
Our annual Made outside of London TV programming report sets out the titles of programmes that the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 certified were ‘Made outside London’ (MOL) productions broadcast during the previous year.
One of Ofcom's important responsibilities is to set standards for offensive language in TV and radio content. Our research aims to assess how perceptions of this language differs based on context, and by different demographic groups.
Public attitudes towards offensive language on TV and Radio Sep 2021
Attitudes to potentially offensive language and gestures on TV and radio Sep 2016
Audience attitudes towards offensive language on television and radio Aug 2010
Language and Sexual Imagery in Broadcasting: A contextual Investigation Published: Sep 2005
Language and Sexual Imagery in Broadcasting: A contextual investigation Sept 2005
The Public Service Broadcasting annual report provides information about how the television public service broadcasters are performing in terms of delivering public service programmes.