What's on "the box"?

Over 99 per cent of British homes have a TV and the average person watches "the box" 24 hours a week. There are five (non-satellite) TV channels in Britain: BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. BBC1 and BBC2, the two state channels, do not show adverts. ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, the three independent channels, do show adverts.

BBC1 and ITV tend to broadcast popular programmes: sports programmes, recent films, news, game shows, children's programmes and soaps. BBC2 and Channel 4 show programmes which usually attract much smaller audiences: TV plays, classical concerts, foreign films and programmes for minority groups. Channel 5 offers mainly game shows and second rate American films. About 26 per cent of British homes subscribe to satellite or cable TV.

a  When do you watch TV?

b  When do you listen to the radio?

Michael Vaughan-Rees, Geraldine Sweeney, Picot Cassidy: In Britain. 21st Century Edition, Cornelsen Verlag, 2000, page 56