Ofcom reports drop in the number of UK households with a TV

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New research published by communications regulator Ofcom might cause a little bit of alarm for the TV industry, after it was revealed the number of UK households that own a set has dropped for the first time in a long while.

The number of households with a TV stood at 26.02 million at the end of 2013, which was down from 26.33 million at the end of 2012 and is the first annual decline for a good number of years.

But the reason isn't necessarily because we're watching less TV as a nation – more the fact we're using alternative devices, with nearly 1 million homes with a broadband internet connection and no TV.

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Smartphones, tablets, games consoles and computers are becoming increasingly important for watching video content, with catch-up and on-demand viewing one of the latest viewing trends.

Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards said: "The way consumers interact with their TV, phone and broadband is changing as fast as technology is evolving.

"Our challenge is to keep supporting competition and innovation, while also helping to improve coverage across the country – particularly in hard-to-reach areas."

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Pete Hayman

Pete was content editor on What Hi-Fi?, overseeing production and publication of digital content. In creating and curating feature articles for web and print consumption, he provided digital and editorial expertise and support to help reposition What Hi-Fi? as a ‘digital-first’ title; reflecting the contemporary media trends. He is now a senior content strategist.