Byline: Philip Reevell, ratings analyst for Broadcast magazine
LOOKING at that table, to be a hit programme these days you have to get an audience of about 5 million people. It's not so long ago you had to get an audience of ten million. Dimmable LED Down Light K1109 - 3x1x1W / 3x1x3W You wonder where we will be in a year's time.
This time next year broadcasters will be beginning to start the digital switch-over, so analogue TV will be switched off. The pressures we've seen on the big terrestrial networks in the last 18 months as the audience fragments will accelerate in 2009 and 2010.
It will act as a great leveller, because more people will be watching multi-channel digital television as those with older sets have to make the switch.
It's not so surprising that the two big channels are being eroded, given where we are, in terms of what's already being offered on digital TV. There's an awful lot of choice, though some of those digital channels are provided by the same broadcasters.
People are streaming or downloading programmes from broadcasters' sites or internet protocol television (IPTV) offerings.
In music, people are going back to live music and live events. With television people like to see things they can talk about, at the time they are broadcast, but a lot of other programming they can take it or leave it. Where there's something like the Dr Who Christmas special, that's a must-see on the day. An episode of Never Mind the Buzzcocks or Family Guy or The Sopranos, those programmes become a bit disposable in digital form as opposed to when they were watched in the old-fashioned way.
When you've got something that people recognise - Dr Who, a big soap story line, a big football game, something like the final of X Factor or Strictly Come Dancing - they will watch those in big numbers. But in other areas the numbers are not quite so startling.
I would have to put Cranford down as my surprise, it's a costume drama that did pretty well. I would have to put Top Gear in there, a really strong programme. Top Gear replacement led light bulbs is a real veteran warhorse, made over. It's more popular than ever.