Study: Broadcast news in Hong Kong

The sheer amount of news and information that Hongkongers receive daily is staggering. Social media, news apps, radio, newspapers, television, and even the people you know, are sources of information alerts.

All types of media, bloggers, internet media, publishers, broadcasters all produce news every day as they hope to attract people's attention. Therefore, it is difficult for any media to stand out.

When it comes to hard news, the overwhelming majority choose TVB. Let's take the live coverage of the chief executive’s press conference as an example. Although the content is identical, the most popular option was TVB. See chart 1.

Chart 1: “CE Meets the Media” (Tuesday, 22 February 2022) live ratings

As everyone in Hong Kong is spending more time at home, ratings of all broadcasters' 24-hour news channels and free TV increased. The year-on-year growth for TVB’s 24-hour news channel in the first two months of 2022 was 44%, reaching 2.6 million audiences. See chart 2.

Chart 2: Reach definition: People who had ever watched for any one min. Data source: CSM Media Research

As for news reports on free TV, the top 7 best performing news report programmes belonged to TVB. See chart 3.

The top-rated news report programme was News At Six-Thirty (六點半新聞報道), with its TV rating points reaching 15.9. It was by far the most popular broadcast news programme in Hong Kong.

TVB is the most effective channel in reaching the mass in Hong Kong. Arguably, the cost per reach is the most efficient among all competitors.

Chart 3: Data Source: CSM Media Research|
C4: Mon-Sun 17:05-21:55
C3: Mon-Sun 07:05-12:55; 22:05-24:55
C2: Mon-Sun 13:05-16:55

On the quality front, TVB news has been recognised by some of the world’s most prestigious awards programmes in the media industry. In 2021, TVB news won a total of six awards from three different awards programmes, including The New York Festival TV & Film Awards, the RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards and the Asiavision Annual Awards 2021.

The judging panel of these awards consisted of the most influential and experienced media practitioners in the world. These awards recognised programmes and organisations that have achieved the highest standard of excellence. Other news organisations being honoured include global players such as MSNBC, BBC, and ESPN. The recognition from the broadcasting and journalism industry encouraged our colleagues to perform even better. TVB and its News team will continue to uphold the highest standard in broadcast journalism, delivering news to people in Hong Kong and audiences from around the globe.

The article is sponsored by TVB.