³ÉÈËÂÛ̳

"Perhaps unsurprisingly, the online figures seem bigger when lots of people are in their offices and places of work and want to keep up with major events - but they are also growing strongly at weekends."

But could that be due to many more people being at a place of work or working from home at the weekends, when work and society have both become 24/7 is it any surprise that people are accessing content online? Another factor with online streaming, either live or via the iPlayer, is the requirement for TV licensing, it is such a grey area here, that the rise in online viewing could simply be indicating a raise in TV licence evasion!...

Also, any idea how the viewing figures for the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Parliament channel compared to those given above?

Perhaps part of the online increase is down to the growing number who no longer have a shop, office or factory to go to. And perhaps some have come to the reasonable conclusion that a TV's no longer worth having given the quality of most content. I suspect that the latter may be a more important factor over the longer term.

Hi,
I think there is one BIG thing everyone has forgotten, i've looked everywhere on the news and it is not mentioned. At the moment the government owns very large stakes of RBS, Lloys and HBOS and also fully owns Northern Rock. I think in 5 years time once the credit crisis is over these companies will be worth alot more than they are now - the government can then sell back its stakes into the market and make a big profit. They could quite easily double or treble their money over 5 years... has everyone forgetten this? it could significantly reduce the budget deficit, any opinions?

thanks

In reply to the comments made @ #3

You would do better to hop over to the "Peston's Picks" blog, were I'm sure they are discussing that or very similar topics;

/blogs/thereporters/robertpeston

Kevin:

The Budget: Live TV audiences grow online

That is very good news, that ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ was able to get a large audience "online" during the coverage of the recent budget announcement in the United Kingdom....

~Dennis Junior~

Complicated issues require control by the viewer to 'repeat' and inwardly digest the tricky bits. "Online" is ideal for going at one's own pace until the bits begin to sink in. Imv.

Gordon Brown is waiting for the .CO.UK boom next year.
Ah....bless.

Gordon Brown would appear to be waiting for internet technology - extended broadband and a miracle of manipulation to return him to power next election

Hmm - - oh - bless us al

modern technology what a marvel now even your computer is able to preach neu-labour spin at you.
well with modern ideas comes advances in manipulation and we are being manipulated by so many organisations these days we fail to notice it.
come back analogue all is forgiven.

#9 (and others)

Has this blog morthed into the "Nick Robinson's Newsblog" or something?!

Perhaps, Mr Bakhurst, your statistical analysts need a course in what numbers mean. Hits on your website, like hits on any website, can mean an awful lot of different things to a lot of different people.

Rather than adding up the beans like you are in some kind of talent contest couldn't you and your staff get back to reporting on the Budget accurately and comprehensively. You know like you did about a decade ago?

Maybe we should do more to guard our economies. 9/11 hurt the US economy and we should do whatever we have to stand safe and protect out interests.
Less government is the key.

#12

What you suggest would actually require a greater level of government - oh and by the way, the Robert Peston or Nick Robinson blogs are a far better place to discuss such matter - this blog is meant to be about the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s broadcasting of the budget speech, not what should be in the speech...

@3 Bank share value.

Somewhat off-topic, but I agree that the decision to 'privatise' banks was a sensible one and the government will make a large profit, but it won't make so much as a tiny dent in the national debt.

Regarding watching the news on-line, speaking personally I can't imagine why I would want to do that unless I had no access to a TV and comfy chair. When communications improve (greatly) in this area, and I can pipe in Broadband, TV, telephone and perhaps other comms at a sensible cost then yes.

Now that ISPs are collecting data on users I wonder whether this same or similar software is being used by the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ for collating user habits? And what about studying the budget via share value movement? Or is the real problem with all this technology too much information and not enough detail?

This may have been answered on another blog, so correct me if I'm wrong and send me in the right direction, but.....
The I-player does not require a licence fee as it is not live, but live streaming does. I assume that most people watched the budget and the inauguration on-line from their place of work, most of which probably didn't have a TV licence. Does this mean that 700,000 people were engaged in criminal activity? Should I stop watching the snooker in the office now?