Media: Switching on, off and over
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.IN ITS first six months, GMTV lost pounds 268 every minute it was on the air. Advertisers wondered about a station whose younger viewers were fleeing in droves to Channel 4's The Big Breakfast. Whatever costs are cut, ITV's early- morning company cannot be healthy until audiences rise.
In the week ended 8 August The Big Breakfast's average biggest audience from Monday to Friday was 1.3 million, on a level with GMTV's for the first time. School holidays are probably a factor, but it must still have been worrying for GMTV. Yesterday came better news - GMTV scored 1.5 million for the week ended 15 August, against 1.2 million for The Big Breakfast.
For its peak audience to be exceeded by The Big Breakfast's would humiliate ITV. It did not happen in the first 32 weeks of competition, though in seven GMTV's lead was shaved to 100,000. Its recovery is probably due to seaside roadshows and the like, aimed at keeping its audience as it prepares fresher ideas for the crucial pre-Christmas advertising period.
On weekdays GMTV is watched at least once in a typical week by 11- 14 million people, depending on the season, whereas Channel 4 attracts 7-8 million. At weekends GMTV'S children's schedule, mostly Disney cartoons, rates way ahead of Channel 4 or BBC1. Its headache (see table) is that the weekday sequence has lost more than 2 million of the viewers TV-am had a year ago.
The kinds of audience advertisers prefer, such as mothers and children, have swung to Channel 4. That leaves GMTV with an older, more masculine profile, although not a more downmarket one; all commercial morning television is plebeian.
In the past 10 years, the potential breakfast television market has expanded to about 25 million out of 53 million people. Unless GMTV can convert some of the rest, it can thrive only by poaching, or repoaching, devotees.
(Table omitted)
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments