Ofcom Archives

Draft media bill promises more British content

04/04/2023

A draft media bill promising more British content on UK media has been published by the UK government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The principal aims of the bill are: To bring Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ under new Ofcom rules and ensure public service broadcasters’ on-demand services are easy to discover on smart TVs and streaming sticks New reforms to guarantee access to UK radio on smart speakers and cut red tape […]

Smart speakers can combat loneliness

14/12/2022

Smart speakers can combat loneliness according to a recent report by Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator. Smart Speaker Research conducted in depth interviews with 100 smart speaker owners and 15 non-owners who tested one, to find out how people use and feel about them. By far the largest use was to listen to music via a streaming service like Spotify, Apple Music or Deezer closely followed by getting weather forecasts, using the speaker to act […]

Radio is the most common audio listening activity in UK in 2020

08/08/2021

Radio is the most common audio listening activity in UK in 2020 according to Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator. In Ofcom’s fourth annual Media Nations research report it reviews trends in the TV and online video sectors as well as radio and other audio sectors. Audio listening key findings The radio and audio sector continues to take advantage of DAB and online platforms to innovate. Live radio on a radio set remains the most common […]

Radio listening declined in UK during pandemic

06/08/2020

Radio listening declined in UK during pandemic because of lockdown according to Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator. In Ofcom’s third annual Media Nations research report it reviews trends in the TV and online video sectors as well as radio and other audio sectors. Radio listening key findings Radio listening was broadly resilient during lockdown, but the sector will need to weather the advertising market downturn exacerbated by COVID-19. • 14% of online adults stopped listening […]

Children’s use of smart speakers doubles in UK

04/02/2020

Children’s use of smart speakers doubles in UK amongst children aged 5-15 with smart speakers being more widely used than radio according to a recent report by Ofcom, UK’s communications regulator. Research by Ofcom and published in Children and parents: Media use and attitudes report 2019 provides evidence on media use, attitudes and understanding among children and young people aged 5-15, as well as data about the media access and use of young children aged […]

Smart speakers and 4K TVs on the rise in UK

02/12/2019

Smart speakers and ultra-high definition TVs are booming in popularity in the UK gears according to recently published Ofcom research. Ofcom’s latest Tech Tracker data shows that ownership of smart speakers has grown significantly over the past year. In 2018, 13% of households owned a smart speaker, such as an Amazon Alexa or Google Home but this year, that figure has grown to 20%. Meanwhile, ownership of ultra-high definition (‘4K’) televisions has more than doubled […]

Ofcom publishes Media Nations: UK 2019

31/08/2019

UK’s broadcasting media regulator Ofcom publishes Media Nations: UK 2019 report containing statistics and trends in the television and online video sectors as well as the radio and other audio sectors. The 107-page report is Ofcom’s second annual Media Nations report and in addition to the UK has separate reports for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Media Nations: UK 2019 is a reference publication for industry, policy makers, academics and consumers and is broken down […]