LNT - the most watched TV channel in 2007

Riga, January 21, 2008 - TNS Latvia, media, market and public opinion research agency owned by one of the world’s leading market information groups - TNS, has summarised the TV channel audiences for the year 2007 (01/01/2007 – 31/12/2007).

LNT was the most watched TV channel in 2007 : TV audiences have wathched this channel 19.0 % of the total TV watching time. The second most watched TV channel  was TV3 with 18.0 %. Channel LTV1 with 11.4 % ranks as the third most watched TV channel, but PBK with 10.4 % is the forth. Next was channel 3+ : TV spectators more than 4 years old have watched this channel 4.9 % of the total TV watching time. Channel LTV7 was watched 3.9 % of the time, but channel TV5 Rīga 2.2 % and   channel RenTV Baltija 2.0 % of the time. TV spectators more than 4 years old have watched channel MTV Latvija 0.2 % of the total TV watching time. Channel TV6 , included in the survey since April, was watched 0.4 % of the time, but PBMK , also included since April, was watched 0.3 % of the total TV watching time. In 2007, TV audiences have watched all the other TV channels 25.0 % of the time, but Video and DVD 2.2 % of the total TV watching time.

According to Mārtiņš Traubergs, TNS Latvia Media Research Project Director, the average time spent by one TV spectator in front of his/her TV set, compared to the previous year, has decreased by one minute, and was 4 hours and 46 minutes per day in 2007. The decrease is negligible, proving that TV remains as popular as before.

Looking at the rating of the channels according to the watching time, it can be noted that the first four most popular channels have kept their positions, whereas 3+ now ranks better than   LTV7 . The share of Other channels has increased by 0.8 % in 2007, showing that the audiences have become more content selective. This trend is confirmed also by the increasing prevalence of cable and satellite television, as well as the introduction of the digital television in Latvia.

Same as last year, the most watched broadcast in 2007 was The International Eurovision Song Contest final, transmitted by channel LTV1 and watched by approximately 24.9  % or 549.8 thousand inhabitants of Latvia more than 4 years old. The second most watched broadcast was the Sing with a Star show on TV3,  watched by approximately 17.4 % or 384.1 thousand inhabitants, but the New Year speech by the President of Latvia V. Zatlers on channel LTV1, watched by approximately 16.8 % or 372.2 thousand inhabitants of Latvia more than 4 years old, ranks third.

Top 10 broadcasts in 2007 by the channel are given below.

Rating   % – the average percentage of spectators tuned to a broadcast
Rating '000 – the average number of spectators tuned to a broadcast, expressed in thousands
Share  % – the ratio of the average number of spectators tuned to a broadcast versus the total TV audiences

TNS Latvia together with TNS companies in Lithuania and Estonia form the largest market and social research centre in the Baltic States.
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Laura Briča
Marketing Manager
Phone: +371 67 096 300
E-mail: laura.brica@tns.lv