Less than half of 16 to 24 year olds admitted to watching BBC television channels in the past week, according to research conducted by broadcast regulator Ofcom.
The average time young people are spending with the BBC per day across TV, radio and online - 1 hour 12 minutes - is also down on the previous year, and is around half that spent by the average viewer - 2 hours 33 minutes.
Many more young viewers are tuning into streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, which do not legally require a TV licence. At the same time the number of younger BBC iPlayer users has fallen to an all time low. The average length of time young people spend visiting the BBC website has fallen from 2 minutes 43 seconds per day to around 2 minutes per day.
The figures were published in Ofcom's Second BBC Annual Report, which was published last week.
The report also criticised a lack of transparency in the way the Corporation handles editorial complaints. It raised concerns that the BBC is failing to engage younger audience members with its news and current affairs output.
It called on the BBC to "broaden its appeal of it news" which is seen by some as "representing a white, middle-class and London-centric point of view that is not relevant to their lives".
In the report, which covers performance between April 2018 and March 2019, Ofcom found that the BBC is "serving viewers and listeners well through the breadth and quality of its programmes" and "satisfaction remains high."
But the regulator said there is an "absence of a clearly articulated and transparent plan" to address concerns, making it "difficult for us to judge how much progress is being made and whether these steps will be far-reaching enough to deliver substantive progress for audiences in these key areas."
Sharon White, Chief Executive of Ofcom, said: "The BBC is still a vital, valued part of British culture. But we're concerned that a new generation is tuning out of its services.
"So the BBC must set out bolder plans to connect with younger viewers and listeners. We also want the BBC to broaden the appeal of its news, which some viewers and listeners feel isn't relevant to their lives.
"And the BBC must find ways to be more distinctive online, where our research shows younger people are passing it by."
A BBC spokesman said: "We welcome Ofcom's recognition that audience satisfaction remains high and that the BBC continues to deliver for British audiences by producing high quality, distinctive and creative content as well as the most trusted and accurate news.
"The BBC has a clear plan in place to meet the needs of younger and diverse audiences, outlined in this year's annual plan.
"It is focused on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds and BBC News Online. All three have grown strongly in the last year. So our plan is clearly working. But we want to do even more for young and diverse audiences, and we will set out our next steps in our upcoming annual plan."
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5 comments:
they will do their best to drag these non BBC users into the TV Licensing requirement, so may ask for ALL streaming including Netflix Amazon and YouTube to be brought in to requiring one.
good article .. don't forget the 9.5 million deaf or hard or hearing (one in six in uk pop are deaf) people who become deaf via old age. They probably need subtitles or disbandment of crappy background music or noise which have no benefit of the informational narrative. Ofcom are delusional much as the BBC.
more education and outreach to the deaf and hard of hearing will serious damage the ofcon/bbc retarded views.
the BBC is Tory mouthpiece, where its news and current affairs programmes are concened.
Ther was a tome when the BBC made quality programmes,but that is far inthe past .The time taken up with breaks for adds for future programming, is very annoying.
I got rid of my television, 5 years ago.I just did not see value for money in the BBBC and independent channels.
Its jsut rubbish the kep themasses amused and unthinking.
Would I ever get a TV again >Difinitely not !
What is fundamentally wrong with the BBC is that it relies far too much on established stuff. What the BBC broadcasts is tired and over done.
It doesn't report on the news very well, leaving out many stories of significant importance, and yet, will report on an event for days and days on end. I used to trust the BBC news as being reliable, it has become tabloid trash these days.
A typical day from the BBC.. Breakfast TV. The banter between the presenters I particularly like, but there are so few news stories, often boring us to death with politicians who never tell the truth or constantly evade the questions they are being asked.
Presenters are needlessly sent to report on things like the presentation of the Brexit reports outside Westminster, and all we hear is that moron constantly bellowing in the back ground.
Day time TV.. Fortunately I work most days so miss a lot of it. But we have dreadful programs on like Homes under the hammer... I don't care one jot about a house that has been sold, it doesn't affect m in any way shape or form. It is a filler program of no quality, like many other programs that follow it.
Children's TV, this is what got me interested in the BBC when I was a child. The programs were of a good quality back in the day. Today there is very little adventure, minimal suspense, and even less education.
The evening news... I remember the days when BBC investigative stories would break on this program. Now it is just a rehash of the same dreary stuff we don't need to know.
There is very little "feelgood" news. The country is bored to death with Brexit, and yet it constantly takes up the lions share of the bulletins.
Early evening entertainment. The One show isn't a bad show, it is light hearted and mostly a lot of fun.
The BBC's reliance on EastEnders is beyond me. It is well known that there is a limited number of story lines that are constantly repeated... It is needlessly on too many times a week, and it shows. The actors are looking tired. The story lines are nearly always depressing... A turn off for me.
As for the comedy... Oh dear, reliance upon the same old faces producing the same old tripe.
Game shows,, all flash and no bang. No real intelligence required for most of them. just stupidity.
The BBC does occasionally come up with a gem or two... Downton Abbey for one. But it is a period drama, which doesn't have any appeal for many under the age of 20.
This was a problem I had when I grew up. Programs that were based in a time before I was born. They had no interest for me. I will admit I am now in my 60's and the only period drama I did enjoy was Life on Mars... Because I could remember those days first hand.
Sport on the BBC... Oh how dire. The BBC has lost so many of their sporting programs that I have lost count. For some bizarre reason the BBC thinks that the Premier league is the end all of football and barely mentions the lower leagues. Rugby Union coverage was second to none on the BBC... Now gone. Cricket was second to none... Now gone... along with many others. And yet it wants to show the Superbowl... A program that is made to show adverts.
Fly on the wall documentaries... I so detest the American style of "goldfish memory" TV. Jumping back and forth from story line to story line, with huge reminders of what happened a couple of minutes before... It just makes me want to scream... or turn it off... Usually I turn it off.
Repeats... This is what is killing the BBC. Too many repeats day in and day out.
Finally, And in my opinion, what makes the TV license worthless is the wages the BBC pays out. Over paid dull presenters, and paying out to cover the many platforms the BBC covers.
As a youngster I probably split my viewing 65% BBC and 35% the other channels.
Today the BBC probably accounts for 5% of my viewing time.
Slim down, pay less, and invest more.
The BBC programmes are utter shite and out of touch.
Absolute disgrace that they're still allowed to charge for a license fee.
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