Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has been urged to protect traditional television after new data showed older viewers are watching more than ever before. The Government is considering ending all terrestrial television broadcasts, with viewers expected to rely on online streaming services instead. The great switch-off could come in 2034 and has been backed by BBC director general Tim Davie.
But a new report by watchdog Ofcom shows that while younger viewers are watching more online services than ever before, traditional telly viewing among the over-75s is also up. Campaigners say it means ending terrestrial broadcasts could spark a loneliness epidemic among Britain’s elderly, as well as robbing them of a vital source of reliable news.
Dennis Reed, Director of Silver Voices, said traditional television also helps to bring the nation together during big events such as England’s victory in the UEFA Women’s Championship.
He said: “Support for broadcast TV is growing amongst older audiences and will remain resilient for decades to come.
“Even amongst younger audiences there is a yearning for shared broadcast experiences, such as the recent Lionesses triumph.
“The streaming experience will plateau over the next few years as the public become tired of getting their news and entertainment from so-called influencers who will say anything for extra clicks.
“It would be the utmost folly to scrap out trusted and reliable terrestrial TV system, and suicide for the BBC to continue its campaign for internet-only television.”
Ofcom’s annual Media Nations report states “adults aged 75 and older watched an average of 5 hours 41 minutes of broadcaster television a day in 2024, up 3% since 2023, and following a 1% rise between 2022 and 2023”.
And it shows that traditional TV makes up over three-fifths of the content watched by people aged 65 to 74, and an 90 percent of the content watched by viewers aged 75 and over.
In addition, nine out of ten people over 75 watch news on the TV.
Meanwhile, take-up of the most popular streaming services has plateaued and the proportion of UK households with streaming services such as Netflix of Amazon Prime is 68 percent – the same as it was in 2021.
However, people aged 35 spend more time watching streaming video than traditional TV.
Current legislation means terrestrial TV is safe until 2034 but the Government is holding a consultation about whether to end it after that and switch to online services, also known as Internet Protocol or IP services.
BBC boss Mr Davie said in a speech in May: “We think now is the time to confirm an IP switchover in the 2030s, setting out the conditions and providing certainty to ensure success.”
MPs are gearing up to debate this issue in a Westminster Hall debate on 4 September, led by Conservative MP David Mundell, calling for terrestrial TV to be safeguarded into the 2040s.