ITV just hits Eyre’s target for peaktime share of viewers

ITV achieved a peaktime share of 38.2 per cent of viewers in the first quarter of this year – slightly above the 38 per cent target set by ITV chief Richard Eyre in January.

Eyre announced performance targets for the first time after several years of drift, declaring a target of 38 per cent peaktime share in 1998, rising to 39 per cent in 1999 and 40 per cent by 2000. Peaktime viewing is from 7pm to 10.30pm.

The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising is monitoring ITV’s peaktime share performance against its new targets. In its TV Trends report for the first quarter of 1998, it reveals that ITV is lagging in its percentage lead over the BBC, which is down from the 1997 level of 6.4 per cent – when ITV had a share of 38.8 per cent and the BBC had 32.4 per cent – to 5.9 per cent.

The report also shows that live, terrestrial’s share of total viewing was down as the share taken by the satellite and cable channels continues to grow.

Non-terrestrial channels’ share grew from 12.1 per cent in the last quarter of 1997 to 12.8 per cent. Channel 4 and Channel 5’s share stayed the same at 10.4 per cent and 3.5 per cent respectively.

Average daily TV viewing for the first quarter of this year was slightly down year on year, from 3.89 hours to 3.84 hours.