RTVE, Antena 3 see ratings fall in '06

Audience fragmentation takes its toll on market leaders

By JOHN HOPEWELL

MADRID — Luis Fernandez and Mikel Lejarza, the new toppers at pubcaster RTVE and commercial web Antena 3, face an uphill task: slowing the ratings slide at their channels.

A report from audience research company Barlovento Comunicacion, analyzing aud shares through Dec. 28, reveals a bleak outlook for the main webs in Spain.

Only Telecinco came close to stanching the flow of viewers away from the leading broadcasters. Bulwarked by a bevy of primetime series, both domestic and foreign, Telecinco saw its share slip from 22.3% in 2005 to 21.3% in 2006.

RTVE and Antena 3 suffered more dramatic audience erosion. RTVE notched up 18.2%, down from 19.6% in 2005; Antena 3 TV plunged to 19.4% last year from 21.3% in 2005.

The bad news for RTVE and Antena 3 is that the ratings drop was driven by factors difficult to combat: the creeping popularity of multichannel viewing and the launch of two aggressive analog broadcasters, Cuatro and La Sexta.

Going on air in November 2005, the Sogecable-owned Cuatro took a strong 6.4% in its first calendar year. Launching in late March, La Sexta took 2.4% April-December. Both startups need to ratchet up aud share. Cuatro needs to reach 9%-10% to break even, per analysts.

It also was the year of "House." Doubling Cuatro's share with second season shares of 17%-19.5% this fall, the medico drama joined "CSI" and a summer run of "Criminal Minds" among the few U.S. series doing well in primetime ratings.

Golden oldie Spanish fiction skeins held their own, led by Telecinco's "Hospital Central" (27%-34% in its sixth season).

More recently launched Spanish series haven't clicked with auds. The last homegrown series to qualify as a hit, "Aqui no hay quien viva," was launched in 2003. One big question for 2007 is whether the upcoming "La que se avecina," Telecinco's follow-up to "Aqui no hay," can replicate its success.