CABLE VIEWERS MORE ATTENTIVE

CABLE AND satellite viewers pay more attention to programmes than their counterparts in terrestrial only homes and are therefore more likely to watch commercial breaks.
Although satellite channels tend to attract smaller audiences than the big terrestrials, viewer involvement and appreciation of those channels is higher.
With the wider range of programming available in multichannel homes, viewers will actively seek out programmes and channels that are relevant to them. In terrestrial-only homes, people are 40 per cent more likely than cable and satellite viewers to watch a programme because ‘there is nothing better on’.
These new findings emerged in the Programme Receptiveness In the Multichannel Environment (PRIME) Report, the largest quantitative study of viewing in multichannel homes. The research agency BMRB measured peaktime viewing in more than 2000 UK homes in a project commissioned by British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB).
BMRB's findings have major implications for perceptions of advertising effectiveness, examining in forensic detail how people watch television programmes and how this influences their behaviour during the commercial breaks.
Key findings include: High levels of interest, enjoyment, and attentiveness during the programme increase the likelihood of viewers watching the commercials within the break; Although satellite channels tend to attract generally smaller audiences appreciation levels for them tend to be higher than those for the big terrestrials such as ITV and BBC1; Programming on satellite channels is more likely to have been actively chosen (especially chosen to watch) than that on terrestrial channels. As a result levels of appreciation are generally higher; Movies and sport channels have the most appreciative audiences (measured by interest and enjoyment); Channel Four has higher average appreciation scores than ITV and BBC1 with a score on a par with Sky One. E4, driven by ‘Friends’ and ‘ER’, is more highly appreciated than the core Channel Four service; Over the period, only three of the top 10 most appreciated programmes were on terrestrial TV, the top terrestrial programme being ‘Only Fools and Horse’ on BBC1. This was number four behind ‘ER’ (E4), ‘Star Trek’ (Sky One), and ‘Angel’ (Sky One). Five of the top ten programmes were on Sky One.
Liz McMahon, Director from BMRB said:
"The PRIME Report turns on its head perceptions that multichannel viewers are less appreciative of their viewing choices because of the multitude of cable and satellite channels. What this research shows is that when viewers are appreciative they are more likely to watch the commercial breaks. And because there is such a wide range of viewing choice people are actively seeking out their favourite programmes and thus paying greater attention." (CD)