LOCAL TELEVISION stations have pulled back a significant number of the viewers they lost to cable in 2000. That is according to the recently released 2002 All Media Survey, commissioned by the Media Association of Jamaica and conducted by the Don Anderson-led Market Research Services.
The survey showed that during 2002, about 970,800 Jamaicans watched local television programming, compared with 268,200 who opted for cable.
The numbers reflected an increase of 66,800 viewers for local television when compared with the figures recorded in the 2000 survey, while the number of cable viewers decreased by 14,800 over the same time-frame.
Market Research Services noted that while cable viewers continue to show a marked preference for movie channels such as HBO, BET and Cinemax, local programmes, including the news, have been the main draw for local television stations. It said Television Jamaica's Prime Time News at 7 p.m. peaks at just over one million viewers on Thursdays, while CVM peaks at 844,000 on Mondays for its News Watch programme.
TVJ AS THE BIG WINNER
Overall, the latest All Media Survey shows TVJ as the big winner in the local TV segment. For the first time in the 10 years since Jamaica expanded the number of local television channels, the survey has indicated a substantial separation in the market share of the two major players - with TVJ gaining an average 13.4 per cent more viewers than CVM in 2002, up from the less than one percentage point that separated them in the 2000 survey. TVJ attracts a 14.2 per cent higher share of the market than CVM from Mondays to Fridays. However, this is cut by 1.2 percentage points to 13.4 per cent on Saturdays, and by a further one per cent to 12.4 per cent on Sundays.
Marcia Forbes, general manager of TVJ, says the station's emphasis on local programming has been a major factor in the positive results shown by the survey.
