The long-running BBC children’s show Blue Peter registered a grand total of zero viewers for one of its recent episodes.
With data collected by the BARB (Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board) box, a recent episode received a ‘zero’ rating. The official system measures audiences across the population, installed in 5,100 households, which are selected to accurately represent the wider population. The system has been used as the official television audience measure since 1981.
The ‘zero’ rated episode, which was a repeat, aired at 14:30 on June 13, while the original airdate at 19:30 on 8th June, was only watched by 53,100 viewers.
It’s a long way from the eight million that Blue Peter attracted when it aired on BBC One in its peak. Falling to an average of 917,000 viewers on BBC One in 2007, it then dropped further to 83,000 viewers since its move to digital channel CBBC in 2012.
Still, the BBC has defended Blue Peter as a: “national institution” despite the fall in audience figures. It has also responded on Twitter to say that the episode has been viewed by 252,000 people across its other broadcasts, which includes 39,000 views on BBC iPlayer.
The current Blue Peter presenter line-up consists of Barney Harwood, Lindsey Russell and Radzi Chinyanganya.
Watch a recent clip from the show below:
