BBC wins Christmas TV ratings battle

THE BBC won its customary victory over ITV for viewers over the Christmas period. Ratings issued today by the Broadcasting Audience Research Bureau (Barb) show that the two BBC channels gained 49.5 per cent of the audience in the week ending 27 December, against 45.6 per cent for ITV and Channel 4.

The remainder were watching satellite and cable channels. The average Briton watched television for five-and-three-quarter hours on Christmas Day and for 33 hours during the week.

On Christmas night 20.13 million viewers tuned in to the special edition of Only Fools and Horses on BBC 1. The top spot in the ratings, though, went to EastEnders, because it was broadcast twice - on Christmas Day and the following Sunday - for a combined audience of 21.47 million. Most watched feature film was Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which attracted 15.8 million BBC 1 viewers on Christmas afternoon.

Only one ITV programme on Christmas Day won an audience of more than 10 million - Coronation Street, seen by 13.95 million people. ITV has been willing to concede a ratings defeat over the Christmas holiday period. Neither advertisers nor viewers are keen to spend money then.