SINGAPORE : More than 8 in 10 adults above 15 years old watch television on an average daily basis, according to a Nielsen Media Research survey.
While this is a marginal decline from one year ago, Nielsen said free-to-air channels are holding their own against cable television and the Internet.
If a viewer was watching television yesterday, chances are he would have been watching a local channel.
According to the latest survey by Nielsen Media Research, 83 percent of respondents watch free-to-air programmes on an average day.
In the past week, local programmes were watched by 96 percent of respondents.
That is nearly three times more than the absolute numbers for cable television, even as viewership of free-to-air channels declined slightly from a year ago.
Audiences are now spoilt for choice when it comes to television programmes, with more cable and Internet options than ever.
But according to Nielsen, even as more people are subscribing to cable television, it is the local channels that continue to draw viewers.
Rebecca Tan, Executive Director, Nielsen Media Research, said: "These are local stars that we can identify with, local lifestyle, the local contest, the local politics. So there's still this draw to watch local programmes."
Channel NewsAsia continues to draw the most attention from professionals and high income earners.
The Nielsen survey showed that based on viewership on a daily basis, it was the top channel among professionals and managers.
MediaCorp's new media platforms performed well, according to the survey, as more people went online.
Timothy Goh, VP, Customer Relationship Management, MOCCA, said: "Our websites actually complement our traditional media channels. It brings an element of interactivity, which is a different dimension which you don't get with the traditional media channels."
The recent launch of TODAY newspaper's weekend edition generated much buzz among readers and advertisers.
Nielsen said among English dailies, TODAY newspaper retains its number two position, and is now read in more private homes than in the year before.
TODAY's readership share held steady at about 17 percent while in terms of absolute numbers, its readership has gained over last year.
The newspaper has some 590,000 readers now, compared with 571,000 in 2006.
PN Balji, Editorial Director, MediaCorp, said, "Despite challenging times for mainstream media, it is heartening that readers have given TODAY this vote of confidence. With the relaunch of Weekend TODAY in July and the buzz that it is creating among readers and advertisers, the TODAY team is looking forward to even better results next year."
Magazines continue to be popular with survey respondents.
MediaCorp's i-weekly for instance, is still their favourite weekly, while Elle Magazine has seen its readership jump by over 40 percent.
Among English radio stations, Class 95 emerged tops again, with a 23 percent listenership.
Erina Cook, Senior Programme Director, English Programming (Class 95), said: "It's actually all about keeping our listeners close to us. It's all about reinventing ourselves and most importantly, connecting with our listeners on a daily basis."
The survey was conducted on a sample size of 4,723 adults, aged 15 and above, between July 2006 and June 2007.
