Ofcom publishes report on Asians consumption of UK TV & radio

Ofcom commissioned Ethnic Dimension, a research agency that specialises in working with minority ethnic communities, to conduct research to help understand awareness and expectations of broadcasting standards among the audiences of TV channels and radio stations aimed specifically at minority ethnic communities in the UK.

The research followed a report commissioned by Ofcom in April 2020 which found some audiences from minority ethnic backgrounds had different expectations of broadcast standards for channels and stations targeting their communities than for mainstream services. Ofcom considered it was therefore important to better understand the specific expectations of these audiences and of their awareness of Ofcom and its remit.

The research found that channels aimed at minority ethnic communities play a key role for these communities and are highly valued by them. Most participants said that engaging with these services gave them a sense of belonging and connection to their ethnic communities. For first-generation participants, content targeting their ethnic community was typically their primary viewing, while second-generation participants switched consumption between both this and mainstream content; and third-generation participants mainly used mainstream content.

For older participants these channels provided an outlet for communities to preserve their cultural, faith and linguistic heritage. For many younger participants, this facilitated shared family time, helping them connect with older relatives and enjoy content together. Younger participants enjoyed certain types of content as part of their regular viewing, typically music and film.

The full report has been published here.