Local TV and radio consumers seem to be unaware of their rights to quality programme content, according to the conclusions of the second volume of the Broadcasting Studies Series, Maltese Broadcast Consumer Profile: An Analytical Assessment 1999-2006, launched by the Broadcasting Authority yesterday.
"They do not seem to know that they can complain and need not accept whatever is presented to them," the publication's author and BA head of research and communications, Mario Axiak, said.
Perhaps the time has come for the BA to take on the suggestion to commission a study on quality content and how local programming could improve on the standards already on offer to consumers, says the BA's CEO Kevin Aquilina in the foreword to the publication.
The document recommends that the BA establishes criteria to gauge quality and produce guidelines for broadcasters and producers rather than merely focus on monitoring whether TV stations have broken the law.
It also points out that media education is a must, said Mr Axiak, highlighting that media literacy is lacking in Malta.
However, that is set to change in view of an EU directive which requires that member states provide a system of media education from December 2009 and send a report every three years on the measures taken in each country, Dr Aquilina noted.
Consumers need to be provided with the tools to realise when things are not being done as they should and to be able to criticise and reflect on them, rather than just accept anything that comes their way.
The report finds that consumer whistleblowing and media consumer groups are unheard of in Malta and that viewers tend to channel hop in search of quality. In fact, the propensity to switch channels has increased across the board and particularly among those of a higher education level and quality of life, having higher expectations.
Offering a profile of TV and radio consumers, the publication is based on data collected and previously published by the BA during the broadcasting seasons between 1999 and 2006, ending in September 2007. It studies 14 TV and radio audience surveys, carried out on behalf of the BA, providing an assessment of the consumption throughout the period.
The document recommends that media research and assessment should be constant and more extensive, the focus of audience audits being always that of broadcasting stations and their market share.
Although it was important for the broadcasting producers and the economic community, the rights of consumers to quality programming is "quite forgotten", resulting in a mediocre content, Mr Axiak said.
Media officials, including producers, advertising agencies, production houses and presenters, should be held more responsible for their actions, the report states.
Unexpected results of the assessment include the fact that consumption of TV and radio is not seasonal, as it had been considered, Mr Axiak pointed out. The difference was of five per cent: radio increased minimally by that percentage in summer, in which period TV reduced marginally by the same amount.
Also, contrary to common perception, community radios only take up 10 per cent of the market and, therefore, did not drain advertising revenue and listeners away from other stations.
Although there were over 50 community radios, they did not bite into a massive chunk of consumers, half of them broadcasting only for about four weeks of the year and limited to a 2.5 km radius.
The study also concludes that media consumption is high and that, during election periods, while radio consumption is diminishing, TV consumption is marginally higher.