Xarabank remains most popular TV programme

Xarabank has yet again proved to be the most popular television programme in the latest Broadcasting Authority survey.

The number of TVM viewers soars on Friday evenings when the programme is aired, and, to a lesser extent, on Sunday mornings for the programme Tista Tkun Int.

Details of the survey were presented yesterday by its author, Prof. Mario Vassallo, at the BA offices in Blata l-Bajda.

The survey was carried out among a sample of 1,001 people between October 23 and 29.

Super 1 Radio remains the most popular radio station with 25.2 per cent. Its popularity has risen since April when it had a listenership of 22.5 per cent.

It is still followed by RTK (17 per cent), Radio Malta (12.6 per cent), Radio 101 (11.8 per cent), Bay Radio (8.9 per cent) and Radju Parlament (8.7 per cent).

A total of 76.3 per cent said they listened to radio regularly, with 29.4 per cent saying they tuned in for between four and nine hours a day and 34.2 per cent up to one hour a day.

Ninety-eight per cent of those interviewed said they watched television - 15.5 per cent for an hour, 32.2 per cent for two hours, 25.1 per cent for three hours and 27.1 per cent for three hours plus.

Prof. Vassallo said the survey gave the audience share for TV in three time-bands - from 6 a.m. to noon, noon to 7 p.m. and 7 p.m. to midnight.

The most popular station in all time bands was TVM (58.7, 22.3 and 33.4 per cent) followed by Super 1 TV (13.7, 20.3 and 24.9 per cent).

In the April survey, TVM was in time bands one and three while satellite channels had topped time band two.

Prof. Vassallo said television remained the preferred source for local and foreign news.

The survey showed that drama was popular with the Maltese.

However, 49.2 per cent of respondents said they never watched political broadcasts. This figure has gone down from the 55.6 per cent of the April survey.

Of the total respondents, 67.6 per cent (up from 63 per cent in April) said they were connected to Cable TV.

A total of 15.3 per cent (slightly down from 15.5 per cent in April) said they had a satellite system.