Maltese residents spent an average of 1.8 hours a day watching television and 3.04 hours listening to the radio, according to the Broadcasting Authority audience assessment for July. 

This was two minutes less than in the February assessment and five minutes less than in July last year.

The national average for TV viewing among the population aged 12 years and over stood at 0.97hrs.

In the month under review, an average of 198,400 persons, or 50.8 per cent of the population aged 12 years and over, stated they had listened to radio while an average of 194,000 persons (49.7 per cent) followed at least one television station.

TVM remained the most popular station with 36.6 per cent, followed by ONE (18.1 per cent), and Net TV (8.1 per cent).  Overall, 66.2 per cent of all viewers followed a local station while the other 33.8 per cent followed a foreign station with Canale 5 (5.2 per cent), Rai 1 (4.1 per cent)and Italia 1 (3.2 per cent) being the most popular stations.

TV audiences tended to peak between 7.30pm and 10 pm.

Bay Radio remained the most popular station with 25.7 per cent of all radio listeners followed by ONE Radio (16.7 per cent) and Radju Malta (9.6 per cent).  Bay Radio was popular with those under of 50 whereas ONE Radio with older people.

Radio listeners spent an average 3.04hrs each listening to their favourite station.  This was 14 minutes more than in the same month last year and 33 minutes more than in February.