BBC Poll - Topline Findings

Voting Intentions and the general public's views on the BBC. The poll measures satisfaction with the BBC and what they would change about it.
  • Poll conducted by MORI on behalf of the Daily Mail
  • Results are based on interviews with 1,003 people aged 18+
  • Interviews were conducted by telephone on 17-19 May 2000
  • Based on all unless otherwise stated
  • Data are weighted to reflect the known profile of the population
  • Where results do not sum to 100, this may be due to multiple responses, computer rounding or the exclusion of don't knows/not stated
  • An asterisk (*) represents a value of less than half of one per cent, but not zero
  • Voting intention figures exclude those who would not vote, are undecided or refuse to name a party
  • 1999 trend data based on MORI poll for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in April 1999: 1,051 UK residents aged 15+, interviewed face-to-face

Voting Intentions

QV1 How would you vote if there were a general election tomorrow?

If undecided or refused:

QV2 Which party are you most inclined to support?

  %
Conservative 33
Labour 46
Liberal Democrats 14
SNP/Plaid Cymru 2
Green Party *
Other 2
Would not vote 12
Undecided 18
Refused 8

General Attitudes

Q1 Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the BBC?

  Apr1999 May2000
  % %
Very satisfied 16 9
Fairly satisfied 54 59
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 14 11
Fairly dissatisfied 10 18
Very dissatisfied 5 10
Don't know/no opinion * 2

Q2 Overall, do you think that the quality of the BBC's programmes has improved, stayed the same or got worse over the last three years or so?

  %
Improved 15
Stayed the same 43
Got worse 39
Don't know 3

Q3 And overall, would you say the BBC is doing better or worse than ITV, or about the same?

  %
Better 23
Worse 26
About the same 47
Don't know 4

Q4-6 Thinking about the amount of television on BBC you personally watch these days, is this more, less or about the same as...

  ...12 monthsago ...five yearsago ...ten yearsago
  % % %
More 11 22 23
Less 44 50 44
Same 43 22 17
Don't know 2 6 16

Image

I am going to read out some statements about the BBC. For each one, please tell me whether you agree or disagree...

Q7 The BBC is out of touch with people like me

  Apr1999 May2000
  % %
Strongly agree 10 21
Tend to agree 23 25
Neither 17 11
Tend to disagree 36 30
Strongly disagree 11 10
Don't know 2 2

Q8 The BBC licence fee, at 163104 a year, provides good value for money

  Apr1999* May2000
  % %
Strongly agree 11 10
Tend to agree 34 22
Neither 12 5
Tend to disagree 23 22
Strongly disagree 19 39
Don't know 2 1

*Question wording did not include 'at 163104 a year'

Licence Fee

Q9 As you know, the BBC is currently funded by the licence fee, and all households with a colour television pay an annual fee of 163104. Which of the following best describes your view...

  %
The BBC should continue to be funded from the licence fee 35
The licence fee should be replaced with other sources of funding 56
Other 6
Don't know 4

Q10 If the licence fee system was replaced with other sources of funding, which, if any, of these would you support...

  %
Introduction of advertising on the BBC 43
Introduction of funding from central government 29
Introduction of programme sponsorship 37
Introduction of subscription charges like Sky 11
Other 1
None of these 5

Programmes

I am going to read out some types of television programme made by the BBC. For each one please tell whether you think there is too much, too little or about the right amount on BBC television...

Q11 Game shows

  %
Too much 38
Too little 12
About the right amount 40
Don't know/no opinion 10

Q12 News

  %
Too much 7
Too little 13
About the right amount 79
Don't know/no opinion 2

Q13 Current affairs

  %
Too much 11
Too little 19
About the right amount 62
Don't know/no opinion 8

Q14 Lifestyle programmes

  %
Too much 53
Too little 8
About the right amount 37
Don't know/no opinion 3

Q15 Films

  %
Too much 5
Too little 63
About the right amount 27
Don't know/no opinion 5

Q16 Drama

  %
Too much 6
Too little 34
About the right amount 54
Don't know/no opinion 5

Q17 Comedy programmes

  %
Too much 9
Too little 43
About the right amount 41
Don't know/no opinion 7

Q18 Soap operas

  %
Too much 45
Too little 6
About the right amount 41
Don't know/no opinion 9

Q19 Sport

  %
Too much 37
Too little 29
About the right amount 29
Don't know/no opinion 6

Q20 Generally speaking, do you think that the standards of the BBC's news and current affairs programmes have improved, stayed the same or got worse in recent years?

  %
Improved 42
Stayed the same 43
Got worse 12
Don't know/no opinion 3

Q21 Do you agree or disagree with the statement, "The BBC has not done enough to keep up with other companies such as ITV and Sky in its coverage of live sports events?"

  %
Strongly agree 35
Tend to agree 24
Neither 8
Tend to disagree 18
Strongly disagree 4
Don't know 11

Q22-24 Still thinking about programmes on the BBC, would you say there is too much, too little or about the right amount of the following...

  Sex Violence Bad language & swearing
  % % %
Too much 32 48 44
About the right amount 51 43 48
Too little 10 5 4
Don't know 7 4 5

Political

Q25 Do you think the BBC mainly supports or opposes the Labour Government, or neither particularly supports or opposes it?

  %
Mainly supports 17
Mainly opposes 7
Neither 57
Don't know 20

Q26 As you may know, the BBC has said that it does not intend to cover live the official tribute to mark the Queen Mother's 100th birthday. Do you think that the BBC should or should not have decided to not cover the official tribute in a live programme?

  %
Should 34
Should not 56
Don't know 9

Q27 Before this interview, were you aware or not that Greg Dyke, the Director General of the BBC, gave 16350,000 to the Labour Party in the past?

  %
Yes, aware 27
No, not aware 72
Don't know 1

Q28 Do you think that Greg Dyke should or should not have been appointed as Director General of the BBC ?

  %
Should 24
Should not 30
Don't know 46

Q29 As you may know, the BBC has recently appointed Andrew Marr, the journalist, as its new political editor. In the past, Andrew Marr has written articles sympathetic towards the Labour Party and the Government. Recently, he has said that he will be impartial in his role as the BBC's political editor. Do you think that the BBC should or should not have appointed Andrew Marr as its new political editor?

  %
Should 36
Should not 36
Don't know 28

TV Demographics

Q30 Typically, would you say that you mainly watch BBC, mainly watch ITV or do you watch them about the same amount?

  %
Mainly BBC 28
Mainly ITV 21
About the same amount 49
Don't watch TV 1
Don't know 1

Q31 And which of these, if any, do you have...

  %
Digital TV 19
Satellite TV 9
Sky TV 16
Cable TV 17
None of these 56

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