TV
11,000 watched BBC Four launch into the digital arena on Saturday evening, according to early figures. The first five hours of BBC Four were also simulcasted on BBC Two, averaging 0.8m viewers and a 4.2% share.
The BBC insisted it was happy with the figures, however. "BBC Knowledge had a lot of repeats of programmes that rated very highly on BBC2 when they were first shown, but BBC4 is all originated," a BBC spokeswoman told the Media Guardian. "Overall it was a very encouraging start to the channel, giving BBC2 viewers a chance to sample it."
The Man Who Destroyed Everything, a profile of artist Michael Landy, began at 7pm, taking 0.9m (4.6%) on BBC Two. BBC Four News was the highest-rated programme for the station at 20.00, with 1.0m (4.7%) over half an hour. A preview of upcoming programming followed at 20.30 with 0.9m (4.0%), and Goya: Crazy like a Genius averaged 0.9m (4.1%) from 20.40, whilst 14,000 watched it on BBC Four.
A second preview at 21.50 managed just 0.6m (2.8%), followed by Surrealissimo at 22.00 with 0.6m (3.6%); 5,000 on BBC Four. On BBC Four into the early hours, The Gist averaged just 3,000 at 23.00, and Baaba Maal drew 6,000 half an hour later.
Figures for the channel were up in its second night yesterday, with 30,000 tuning in for Madame Butterfly over 150 minutes starting 20.00, and an audience of 31,000 for film Goya in Bordeaux between 22.30 and 00.10. A repeat of BBC Two's Newsnight Review then drew 8,000.
7 million watched the block of programming on BBC Two and BBC Four across the launch evening, a spokeswoman told Digital Spy. "The Sunday night average stood at 20,000, up from 11,000 the night before," she added. "That's roughly double that of BBC Knowledge's primetime average, a channel which broadcast more mainstream programming."
The BBC insisted it was happy with the figures, however. "BBC Knowledge had a lot of repeats of programmes that rated very highly on BBC2 when they were first shown, but BBC4 is all originated," a BBC spokeswoman told the Media Guardian. "Overall it was a very encouraging start to the channel, giving BBC2 viewers a chance to sample it."
The Man Who Destroyed Everything, a profile of artist Michael Landy, began at 7pm, taking 0.9m (4.6%) on BBC Two. BBC Four News was the highest-rated programme for the station at 20.00, with 1.0m (4.7%) over half an hour. A preview of upcoming programming followed at 20.30 with 0.9m (4.0%), and Goya: Crazy like a Genius averaged 0.9m (4.1%) from 20.40, whilst 14,000 watched it on BBC Four.
A second preview at 21.50 managed just 0.6m (2.8%), followed by Surrealissimo at 22.00 with 0.6m (3.6%); 5,000 on BBC Four. On BBC Four into the early hours, The Gist averaged just 3,000 at 23.00, and Baaba Maal drew 6,000 half an hour later.
Figures for the channel were up in its second night yesterday, with 30,000 tuning in for Madame Butterfly over 150 minutes starting 20.00, and an audience of 31,000 for film Goya in Bordeaux between 22.30 and 00.10. A repeat of BBC Two's Newsnight Review then drew 8,000.
7 million watched the block of programming on BBC Two and BBC Four across the launch evening, a spokeswoman told Digital Spy. "The Sunday night average stood at 20,000, up from 11,000 the night before," she added. "That's roughly double that of BBC Knowledge's primetime average, a channel which broadcast more mainstream programming."
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