Internews Armenia public organization has published the findings of the TV
audience survey in three major cities of Armenia – Yerevan, Gyumri and Vanadzor.
The research was administered by US “InterMedia” organization in December 2004
by interviewing 500 respondents aged over 15 in each of the cities above.
According to the survey findings, the TV ownership rates among the respondents
were highest in Vanadzor and Yerevan – 97% for each city. 87% of respondents
in Yerevan, 77% in Gyumri, 70% in Vanadzor watch TV every day. Most respondents
in all three cities had seen advertisements on TV “yesterday” (72% – in Yerevan),
yet the attributes most commonly applied to TV advertisements are “irritating”
and “boring”. The highest number of available channels is in Yerevan: 61% respondents
can receive at least 14 TV channels. The opportunities in Gyumri and Vanadzor
are somewhat restricted: the majority of the respondents can receive less than
14 TV channels.
In all three cities peak TV viewing times are between 20.00 and 23.00. Respondents
under 30, in all three cities, tend to watch in higher numbers in the afternoon,
from 14.00 until 17.00 or 18.00 and respondents over 30 – from the morning until
about 13.00, except in Gyumri. In all three cities the respondents, particularly
those, aged under 30, consider the entertainment programs to be the most important
for them. This opinion is shared by 80% in Vanadzor, 66% – in Yerevan, 47% –
in Gyumri.
The audience survey for specific TV channels showed that Gyumri viewers commonly
characterize the local “Tsayg” and “Shant” as “independent” and “objective”.
44% of respondents in Vanadzor qualified the local “Lori” TV company as “amateurish”,
and 41% thought it was “engaging”. Another Vanadzor TV company “Interkap” was
most frequently named “trustworthy” or “engaging”.
In the opinion of respondents in all three cities, the First Channel of the
Public Television of Armenia is one of the two TV channels for news coverage.
The other leaders, the news programs of which are most popular, are “Armenia”
in Yerevan, “Shant” in Gyumri and ORT (Russia) in Vanadzor.
By the survey findings, the PTA First Channel is the most popular station in
Gyumri and Vanadzor and rates a close second to “Armenia” in Yerevan. Throughout
the week the programs of PTA First Channel are watched by 86.8% of audience
in Yerevan, 82.8% – in Gyumri and 93.3% – in Vanadzor. Other top stations in
terms of weekly reach are “Armenia” and RTR (Russia) in Yerevan, “Shant” and
Second Armenian TV Channel in Gyumri, ORT and Second Armenian TV Channel in
Vanadzor.
