Fewer people watching television, Broadcasting Authority survey finds

The percentage of people who did not watch any TV on the eve of being interviewed for a Broadcasting Authority survey in the winter months has shot up from 25% in 2007 to 35% in 2015.

This emerges from a comparison between the latest Broadcasting Authority survey held in February, and previous surveys.

In the latest survey, 65% stated that they had watched television the day before the interview, while 35% had not watched any TV station.

Previous surveys show that TV viewing in always at its highest in the winter or autumn months and lowest in summer when people tend to go out. In this year’s winter survey the percentage of people who did not watch any TV on the eve of the survey is comparable to that of people who did not watch TV in the summer of 2012.

The least likely to watch any TV are people aged between 21 and 30 years.

Among this category a slight majority of 50.1% did not watch any TV on the eve of being interviewed.  

This suggests that among this category people are more likely to go out or to spend their leisure time at home watching DVDs or surfing the Internet.

Among respondents aged between 12 and 20 only 55% watch TV. 

The percentage of TV viewers rises to 66% among those aged between 31 and 40 and peaks at 73% among those aged between 51 and 70 years of age.

On a regional level Gozitans – 46% did not watch any TV on the day before the survey – were the least likely to watch TV.  The most likely to watch TV were residents of the south harbour area, which includes Cottonera, 72% of whom watched some TV on the previous day.

The second highest rate of TV watchers (68%) is found in the southeastern region, which includes localities like Birzebbugia and Zejtun.

According to the survey the average viewer spends nearly two hours watching TV.

The survey also suggests that many of those who did not watch any TV on the previous day have not shunned TV entirely.

When asked to state a favourite Maltese TV programme only 6.4% replied that they do not watch any TV at all. 

18.6% of respondents replied that they do not watch local programmes, 11.6% did not have a favorite programme; 0.5% do not have a television set; while 1.1% did not reply. 

The survey shows that 39% of 12 to 20 year olds watch satellite or cable TV stations.  

The most likely to watch Mediaset channels (12.4%) are 31 to 50 year olds. Over 70 year olds (9%) are the most likely to watch Rai. 

Reporter

TV programme Reporter presented by MaltaToday managing editor Saviour Balzan, has confirmed its position as the second most followed TV discussion programme on the national station.

The audience survey conducted by the Broadcasting Authority shows that TVM has an audience share of 8.6% (32,503 viewers) on Mondays between 21:30 and 22:00 pm and of 4.5% (16,930) between 22:00 and 22:30.

TVM2, on which Reporter is also screened, registered an audience share of 1.5% (5,842 viewers) at 9:00pm.

Reporter is screened on TVM2 between 20:30 and 21:30 and between 21:45 and 22:45 on TVM.

The audience survey confirms that Xarabank has the largest audience among the discussion programmes screened on TVM, starting with a peak of 85,043 viewers between 20:30 and 21:00 (22% of all viewers).

Timestalk which is screened between 18:45 and 19:45 on Wednesdays starts with an audience of 18,562 between 19:00 and 19:30 (4.9%) and peaks with audience of 26,391 (6.9%) between 19:30 and 19:45.  

Dissett, presented by Reno Bugeja, which is also screened between 18:45 and 19:45 on Thursdays, peaks with an audience of 15,461 (4.1%) between 19:30 and 19:45.

Realta has the lowest audience among the five discussion shows peaking at 7,590 viewers (2%).