Blue Peter ratings at 50-year low

Louise (Admin) · Blue Peter ratings at 50-year low

The BBC has been urged to act after ratings for flagship children's programme Blue Peter dropped to less than 100,000 viewers on some occasions last year.

Average ratings for the show fell by more than 50 per cent among target viewers, giving it its worst audience figures for 50 years.

Ratings for all of the BBC's children's programmes have suffered since they were moved forward in the schedule to make way for The Weakest Link on BBC One.

Mark Wakefield, the head of performance at the BBC Trust, said: "The trust is making it clear that this is not something that can be ignored. There has to be a plan of action for tackling it."

Former Blue Peter editor, Biddy Baxter, told The Times that the current scheduling is 'absolutely ridiculous' and that the BBC is 'losing the plot'.

She added: "The fact is that at 4.35pm so much of the audience is not yet back from school. This looks like a decision made by people who are thinking of the audience as a whole and not thinking about children."

The decline in viewers for the BBC's children's shows is also being linked to children choosing to watch cartoons on digital channels instead.

Would shifting the time of Blue Peter help to boost viewing figures? Or do you think children are not interested in this type of show anymore? Let us know what you think...

FlakeySugarButt

Blimey, if they're not back home from school by 4.35pm they either finish a lot later than ours or live a long way away. Ours come out from primary school at 3.40pm and we're usually back home by about 4.05/4.10pm.

I think Blue Peter's kind of had it's day now though.

urbangirluk

I don't personally have any kids but my mum's a childminder so there's always kids around there and I just don't think Blue Peter is on their viewing agenda, more like Sponge Bob Squarepants or Fairly Odd Parents!! It was always my staple viewing after school but that was then and this is now!

Julie C

Bring back Gethin Jones

Louise (Admin)

Julie C

urbangirluk

Julie C

Not quite as sexy

take care luv Juliexx

sparkiethecruiser

do they still make thing with stickey back plastic

If they do maybe this is the problem they havent moved with the times.

Also dont know where the kids go to school that the former editor is referring to but the kids around here get out between 2.45 and 3.15 in the primary and the high schools all get out at 3.35. Plenty of time to get home before the start of BP

urbangirluk

Lady Rachel

it needs to reinvent itself. mine love the cartoons on cable