Children only watch half as much TV as adults: Future of TV licence in further doubt after research findings

The future of the BBC licence fee was thrown into further doubt yesterday as it emerged children watch half the amount of live television as their parents.

New figures reveal youngsters between the age of 11 and 15 spend six times longer watching internet video clips as older viewers, but spend much less time in front of traditional sets.

The trend sparked fears that the BBC may struggle to raise its annual £3.7billion funding from the licence fee.

Because the £145.50 charge only applies to those who watch or record TV and not to those who watch up catch-up shows or other internet content, many future adults may be exempt.

Last night Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said: ‘This just shows that the BBC’s funding model in its present form is unsustainable.

'TV viewing habits are changing and the corporation needs to change too. We need a complete review of the licence fee to drag the BBC into the modern world.’

According to research published by the media watchdog Ofcom yesterday, children aged 11 to 15 watch one hour and 32 minutes of live TV a day on average, compared with two hours and 58 minutes among adults.

They also spend an average of 33 minutes a day watching short online videos on websites such as YouTube and Vimeo, compared with just five minutes for older viewers.

Experts are unable to say whether today’s youngsters will continue to shun traditional sets when they grow up, or whether the trend marks the decline of the TV industry as we know it.

But the figures come as the BBC finds itself under growing pressure to close an ‘iPlayer loophole’ which allows viewers to watch its shows free of charge on its online catch-up service.

At present, it is thought around 500,000 households - less than 2 per cent of the population, currently avoids the licence fee in this way, but the figure may rise as younger generations change the way TV is watched.

According to the Ofcom research, 12 per cent of TV viewing among the 11 to 15 age group was via on-demand websites such as iPlayer and 4oD, or 13 minutes a day.

Adults spent a similar amount of time – 12 minutes – watching catch-up TV, but this was just 6 per cent of their overall TV viewing.

Ofcom interviewed 1,644 adults and 359 children aged between six and 15 for its study, asking them to produce ‘TV diaries’ detailing their daily viewing habits.

But while 94 per cent of UK adults reported watching live TV every week, just over three-quarters of children said the same.
Earlier this year, the BBC’s Director General Tony Hall admitted the licence fee needs modernising and said it could be extended to iPlayer.

The Ofcom research also found that 60 per cent of children aged six to 11 claimed to use tablet computers each week, compared with 38 per cent of all adults.

Those aged between 11 and 15 were half as likely as adults to read books, newspapers or magazines, and were much less likely to listen to the radio.

DailyMail