May 2012
Longitudinal Analyses of the NHK Nationwide Surveys on Individual Audience Ratings
Masashi Funakoshi
Twenty years have passed since the launch of satellite broadcasting in Japan. The number of ouseholds capable of viewing satellite broadcasts has dramatically increased amid various developments such as multi-channels and digitalization. Now almost half of the Japanese receive those broadcasts. The author reports how satellite broadcasts have been viewed based the result of NHK’s annual Nationwide Surveys on Individual Audience Ratings.
The report presents the flowing key aspects.
-The number of people who can receive satellite broadcasts has greatly increased over the past two decades, and actual viewers of satellite programs have also grown. Looking at the increase in the viewership, commercial broadcasters had the higher rate of increase than NHK did, and, by age group, the upper age bracket (those in their 50s and older) had the higher rate of increase than young and middle-age groups.
-Comparing the viewing hours of those who actually view satellite broadcasts and of those who do not view them, it is revealed that satellite viewers had longer viewing hours of terrestrial television than satellite non-viewers. This shows that satellite broadcasts do not eat away the time spared for terrestrial broadcasts, but viewers watch satellite broadcasts in addition to terrestrial broadcasts.
-Many viewers watch satellite television on an elective basis, or “one day” in a week; there is no change in this trend from past to present.
-Analyses by time slot show that weekdays marked an increase in satellite viewing in the evening time slot, and there was no increase in other time slots. The main satellite viewers in the evening slot were those in the upper age bracket.
-In cased of terrestrial broadcasts, NHK and commercial broadcasters had different viewer compositions, but the difference in the viewer compositions of satellite broadcasts are less distinctive than terrestrial television, with older people being the main viewers. NHK and commercial broadcasters also showed no difference in selected viewing of satellite television.
Satellite broadcasting has evolved into a gigantic media service. The entire BS digital business has better income balance now and the market is expanding. On the other hand, little change has been observed in several aspects such as age groups of satellite viewers and viewing behavior. It is necessary to keep an eye on whether audience groups and viewing behavior will be changing in concert with the expanding market.