Flash Eurobarometer European Commission Audio Visual Communication Analytical Report General Public Survey Fieldwork: 16-27 February, 2007 Report: March, 2007 Flash Eurobarometer 199 The Gallup Organization This survey was requested by European Commission, Directorate-General Communication This document does not represent the point of view of the European Commission. The interpretations and opinions contained in it are solely those of the authors.
Flash EB Series #199 Audio-visual Communication Conducted by The Gallup Organisation Hungary Survey organised and managed by the Eurobarometer Team of Directorate-General Communication This document does not reflect the views of the European Commission. Any interpretations or opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors alone. THE GALLUP ORGANIZATION HUNGARY
Introduction The survey s fieldwork was carried out between the 16 th and the 27 th of February 2007. Over 30,000 randomly selected citizens aged 15 years and older were interviewed in the EU27 countries and in Croatia, Turkey, US. Telephone interviews were conducted in each country with the exception of the Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary Poland, Romania and Slovakia where, both telephone and face-to-face interviews were conducted (700 webcati and 300 F2F interviews) To correct for sampling disparities, a post-stratification weighting of the results was implemented based on important socio-demographic variables. Analytical Report, page 3
Main findings Within the EU Within the EU Member States, there are definite divides, both North-South and East-West. These preferences and viewing habits appear to depend not only on taste and culture but also on the status of the available infrastructure. The EU citizens that show the most interest in political and social affairs, and in EU-related topics, mainly include older citizens, those over the age of 55, and those who have a higher level of educational attainment. The Northern countries of the EU15 generally have good availability of high-speed Internet, and of both cable and satellite TV. o o o Citizens are therefore more aware of the international news channels. In terms of content, they are more satisfied with news programmes and less demanding in the quest for more information. These citizens also spend less time watching TV, but tend to show the most interest in politics (within the EU). Citizens of the Southern countries of the EU15, together with Cyprus and Malta, have less access to high-speed Internet and there are fewer installations of cable and satellite facilities. o o o They are therefore less aware of international news channels and spend less time surfing Internet news sites. These citizens are not so satisfied with programme content. They want more information about the EU and admit to having less knowledge about politics in general. Finally, the Eastern EU countries mainly lack access to high-speed Internet as the availability of cable and satellite TV is higher than it is in the Southern European countries (note: seven of the 10 Eastern countries have implementation rates of 70% or above for cable and / or satellite TV). o o o Citizens from these Member States therefore spend less time surfing news sites. However, they spend more time watching TV, are more satisfied with programme content and more likely to say there are too many political programmes. They do, however, want to receive more information about the EU. As for the types of information that EU citizens would most like to receive, there is interest in all areas (e.g., EU citizens rights, health & social policies, the role of the EU in the world and the enlargement policy). There are interest rates of above 50% in all such topics. Further analysis allowed us to define groups as being very active politically (more interest in the news, political programmes, debates, etc.), active, passive etc.: typically the very active citizens are male, over the age of 55, no longer working and those with a higher level of education. These very active citizens show a much greater interest in the EU.
US and EU comparisons As could be expected, there are differences and similarities to be seen if one compares views in the EU and the US about news and political programmes on TV: o o o Both EU and US citizens tend to agree that the news presentation is too sensational, that there is insufficient quality on TV and that political programmes are not creative or original enough. However, American viewers are more interested in, and less bored by, these programmes, and they claim to have a much greater understanding of politics. US citizens also disagree that the choice of programmes is too limited and they feel that that there are sufficient programmes of this nature on TV. o Finally, almost 50% of Americans would like more EU-related news and just less than one-third would participate in interactive programmes (about the subject). Overall, interest in EU-related news is high: 63% in the EU and 54% for US citizens. In general, national TV and newspapers are the preferred media outlets for receiving news about the EU, although US citizens put greater reliance on their local TV and press. When it comes to defining the most important features of a media outlet, EU and US citizens find that their views coincide: they all specify reliability, objectivity, clarity of information and independence - in the same ranking of importance. People in Europe spend less time watching television than American citizens. Nearly half of Americans watch TV for more than three hours a day; that is twice the EU figure. The majority of EU citizens watch TV for between one and three hours a day. The higher EU figure is especially true for elder citizens and those with less education. Although Americans spend more time watching television than Europeans, people in the EU watch more daily news programmes. In terms of preferred viewing, news programmes are the most popular: 48% of EU citizens mention these programmes, and there are similar numbers in the US. 15-24 year-olds and those still in education are not attracted by news programmes (only one-third of these groups watch the news). Access to news websites is popular, especially in the US (67%). The EU figure is 45%, and the most likely users of such a facility are the young, the highly-educated and those in metropolitan areas. However, 73% of Americans have high-speed Internet access, while the EU figure stands at 58%. Analytical Report, page 5
Table of Contents Introduction... 3 Main findings... 4 Table of Contents... 6 1. Access to the infrastructure... 7 1.1. High-speed Internet Access... 7 1.2. Access to TV channels (via cable and satellite)... 10 2. Television viewing habits... 13 2.1. Time spent watching TV during the working week... 13 2.2. Time spent watching TV at the weekend... 15 2.3. Time spent watching TV over the Internet... 18 2.4. Watching specialised channels... 20 3. Programmes that people prefer to watch... 21 3.1. Preferences within EU Member States and candidate countries... 21 4. Awareness and perception of television news channels... 25 4.1. Awareness of international news channels... 25 4.2. Frequency of watching the news channels the ones that first spring to mind... 28 5. Interest in the news... 32 5.1. News programmes on television... 32 5.2. News delivered over the Internet... 35 5.3. News websites... 38 6. Interest in political programmes... 40 6.1. Interest in debates, interviews and analyses... 40 7. Levels of interest in EU-related news... 43 7.1. Interest in questions related to EU... 43 8. Viewers attitudes in the EU and the US... 47 8.1. Attitudes in the EU... 47 8.2 Differences between the EU and the US... 58 9. Areas where more information about the EU is required... 60 9.1. Areas of EU-related information that are most requested... 60 9.2. Preferred channels... 67 9.3. Important aspects... 69 10. Levels of interest in politics and the EU... 73 11. Annex tables... 81 12. Survey details... 238 13. Survey questionnaire... 241
1. Access to the infrastructure This section examines the facilities that EU citizens have access to, i.e. a high-speed Internet connection, and additionally the ability to pick-up international TV channels either via cable or satellite. Obviously, access to such facilities has a bearing on citizens programme preferences and viewing habits. 1.1. High-speed Internet Access Differences by country Access to high-speed Internet is much higher in the EU15 (59%) than in the newer Member States (43%), but some of the EU15 s Southern countries also lack good coverage. Among EU Member States, the proportion of those with high-speed Internet access is the highest in the Northern countries. There, the proportion of citizens with such access at home and/or in the workplace is even higher than in the US. Denmark (80%), Sweden (78%), Belgium and the Netherlands (both at 72%), all have just as many, or more, citizens with Internet access as the US (72%). The proportion of those who only have Internet access at home is the highest in Belgium and the Netherlands (54% and 45%, respectively). Access to a fast / broadband Internet connection: by EU Member States, candidate countries and the US (%). only at hom e only in w orkplace at both places have slow/dial up only neither DK/NA 0 0 2 1 0 4 1 0 1 2 1 2 2 1 3 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 3 0 4 1 2 2 1 1 1 3 2 1 16 18 26 22 24 23 4 3 2 4 3 6 16 39 25 42 25 2 36 2 4 3 6 7 54 45 38 41 30 29 28 31 32 33 31 38 35 36 39 29 39 38 38 39 43 49 45 47 52 47 48 53 49 53 58 59 1 3 5 3 4 62 1 2 8 69 3 72 2 3 3 3 3 27 19 2 30 24 16 24 20 19 19 22 22 13 1 6 18 2 18 1 2 2 9 5 3 23 6 16 11 2 14 14 5 5 5 15 11 3 2 7 7 5 15 5 13 5 12 4 15 8 10 11 5 7 6 13 7 5 7 11 8 7 7 0 4 6 8 5 1 40 42 8 6 35 31 33 36 36 38 32 34 33 28 28 29 33 5 6 5 25 27 29 25 21 22 24 22 24 18 25 17 18 15 DK SE BE NL US LU UK FI FR SI AT MT EE EU15 DE IE CZ ES EU25 EU27 LV PT IT NMS10 HU PL CY NMS12 LT BG SK HR EL TR RO Q3. Do you have access to a fast / broadband internet connection... On the basis of high-speed Internet access, the NMS12 (43%) and the candidate countries (Croatia and Hungary) are below the EU average. The country with the lowest proportion of people with this kind of Internet access is Romania, where only a quarter of citizens have access at home or in the workplace. With an EU average of 56% (being Net-enabled), the figures are also considerably lower in Lithuania, Bulgaria and Slovakia (four out of 10 citizens have access). In Cyprus, Poland and Hungary, the accessibility figures are just above the NMS12 average. Analytical Report, page 7
The EU candidate countries are not particularly well supplied in terms of Net access. In Turkey, just over a quarter (29%), and in Croatia (36%), of the population have access to the Internet either at home or at the workplace. The proportion of those with access to the Internet is significantly higher in the EU15 than in the NMS12 countries: compared with 59% in the former, the rate is 43% in the countries that have joined since 2004. One significant figure, in the EU15, is in Greece (35%), where access to the Internet is considerably lower than the EU average. Age and education make a difference High-speed Internet access has a strong correlation with both age and education. Approximately threequarters of those aged below 40, the same number with a university degree, and even more of those still in education (79%) have high-speed access to the Internet. A similar number of employees have fast access. Access to a fast / broadband Internet connection in the EU: by age, sex, level of education, dwelling and type of employment (%). only at hom e only in w or kplace at both places have slow/dial up only neither DK/NA 2 1 1 1 2 3 3 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 35 39 43 3 3 20 3 18 15 5 6 5 33 35 32 23 3 14 3 57 27 31 3 3 26 26 9 6 35 32 65 72 3 6 2 2 3 2 22 19 22 40 3 4 33 16 5 8 33 33 17 4 13 3 63 30 38 3 3 23 18 7 5 36 35 26 46 3 31 4 15 9 4 30 31 20 3 37 11 28 45 54 3 9 3 4 4 1 38 36 EU27 Male Female 15-24 25-39 40-54 55+ -1 5 16-20 20+ still in education metropolitan zone other to w n/ urb a n rural zone Selfemployed Employees Manual workers Not working Q3. Do you have access to a fast / broadband internet connection...
Europe-US comparisons Almost six out of 10 EU citizens (56%) have high-speed Internet access at home or at their workplace, but these figures are surpassed in the US, where 72% of citizens have such a facility. One-third of Europeans only have access to the Internet at home, an extremely small proportion (5%) have access only in the workplace and one-fifth (18%) at both places. On the other hand, just over a third (36%) of Americans have Web access at both home and at the office. Nearly a third (29%) of Americans have Internet access only at home, while 7 percent have access to the Internet only at their workplace. Access to a fast / broadband Internet connection: EU and US (%). EU US 2 1 only at home 33 only in workplace 24 29 39 at both places hav e slow /dial up only 3 5 neither DK/NA 7 3 18 36 Q3. Do you have access to a fast / broadband internet connection... Analytical Report, page 9
41 41 39 38 38 38 32 26 24 24 22 20 19 18 19 18 16 15 14 14 14 12 11 10 1.2. Access to TV channels (via cable and satellite) Here, a divide exists but it is not so much between old and new Member States, but between Northern and Southern Europe. Many Southern countries, including Greece, France, Italy, Cyprus and Turkey, all lack widespread access to cable / satellite TV. Differences in EU Member States and the candidate countries There are significant differences among European countries in regard to the way in which citizens access TV channels. In countries that are more densely populated with cable, the use of satellite tends not to be widespread, and, where broadcasts are characteristically received by satellite, there is a lower dependency on cable networks. For example, in Belgium, where cable coverage is almost complete (94%), only one in 10 Belgians (10%) has satellite access. Access to TV (satellite and cable): for EU Member States, candidate countries and the US (%) 94 88 cable TV 80 79 78 77 77 73 64 61 58 57 57 56 51 51 48 47 45 45 5 BE NL LU RO BG MT US HU LV SI IE EE SE DK NMS12 SK DE PT LT UK NMS10 EU27 AT EU 25 FI EU15 PL CZ ES TR CY IT HR FR EL 68 58 54 52 TV by satellite 41 40 40 36 33 32 31 31 31 29 28 27 27 26 25 25 25 24 23 23 22 TR AT IE DE HR UK US LU EU15 EU25 SE SK EU27 SI PL CY IT MT NMS10 DK CZ FR ES NMS12 HU EE PT RO LV NL LT EL BG FI BE Q14. Do you have access to... In addition to differences in the usage of cable and satellite in the various Member States, there are many European countries with a high proportion of citizens lacking either option to access international TV channels. In Greece, the vast majority of the population (83%) has neither cable nor satellite access. In France and Cyprus, two-thirds of the population are not supplied in this way either. Finally, the majority of the population suffers from a lack of provision of either cable or satellite receivers in Spain (59%), Italy (59%), the Czech Republic (56%) and Finland (56%). However, Belgians, Luxemburgers, Danish, Dutch and Romanians, are all well supplied, with the numbers of their citizens not having any of the access options being below 10 percent.
Percentage of those who do not have access to either cable or satellite EL 83% FR 62% CY 62% ES 59% IT 59% CZ 56% FI 56% PL 47% HR 47% LT 46% PT 40% UK 33% EE 31% SK 29% DK 27% LV 26% SE 26% SI 23% TR 23% IE 22% BG 17% HU 16% MT 13% AT 10% US 9% RO 8% NL 7% DE 5% LU 4% BE 3% As one might expect, in European cities (metropolitan areas and towns), cable TV tends to dominate the marketplace, while in rural areas, satellite access is more commonplace. Access to TV by type of location (%) have access to cable TV have access to TV by satellite 50 46 41 37 31 26 27 30 EU27 metropolitan other town rural zone Q14. Do you have access to... Analytical Report, page 11
Europe US comparisons The number of people who do not have access to either cable TV or satellite receiving options is considerably higher in the EU (36%) than in the US. In the latter, only 9 percent of citizens are in this situation. In both the EU and the US, the majority of the citizens access TV channels by cable. There is a significant difference in the spread of cable networks, however: while three-quarters (77%) of Americans access TV channels this way, less than half (41%) of Europeans use this method. Significantly less people watch TV via satellite: one-third (31%) of EU citizens and not many more (40%) in the US. Access to TV (by cable and satellite): for the EU and the US (%). EU US 100 90 Cable TV and TV by satellite : 7% Neither: 36% 100 90 Cable TV and TV by satellite : 25% Neither: 9% 80 80 70 70 60 60 50 50 40 40 77 30 30 20 10 41 31 20 10 40 0 cable TV TV by satellite 0 cable TV TV by satellite Q14. Do you have access to... A quarter (25%) of Americans have access to both cable and satellite, while in the EU, this figure drops to 7%.
2. Television viewing habits This section examines the viewing habits of respondents, including the number of hours spent per day watching TV programmes, either on their television sets or over the Internet. It also covers responses concerning specialised programmes that might be watched. 2.1. Time spent watching TV during the working week Citizens in the newer Member States spend more time watching TV than their EU15 counterparts. However, the Brits and Dutch buck the EU15 trend with high viewing figures. Age and level of education are also key factors. EU Member States and candidate countries variations Regarding viewing habits, there are significant differences within the EU between East and West. Among some of the NMS12 countries, viewing habits are rather similar to those in the US, with high figures for those who watch TV for more than three hours on an average weekday. Viewing figures in the EU15 (24%) are considerably lower. In Bulgaria, nearly half (45%), and in Romania, Lithuania and Slovakia, one-third of the population spend more than three hours a day watching TV. The lowest viewing figures are recorded in Spain (12%), Austria (18%), Germany (19%), Slovenia (19%), Luxembourg (19%) and Denmark (19%); in these countries less than a fifth of the population spend time watching TV for more than three hours a day. Citizens in the EU candidate countries (Turkey and Croatia) also spend a lot of time watching TV; more than half (54%) of Turkish citizens, and roughly a third (36%) of Croatians watch TV for more than three hours a day. Among the Western European countries, the British spend the most time watching TV; four out of 10 (39%) watch TV for more than three hours per day. Analytical Report, page 13
Time spent watching TV on an average weekday: for EU Member States, candidate countries and the US (%). More than 3 hours 1 hour - 3 hour Less than 1/2 hour - 1 hour 7 8 13 13 14 17 14 16 17 13 20 16 14 15 21 22 18 25 17 20 25 18 20 19 20 27 21 18 22 21 21 28 23 27 26 37 46 40 45 49 45 50 50 50 52 48 52 55 48 48 49 52 47 54 51 44 56 52 55 52 49 56 57 53 57 55 51 52 51 59 54 45 45 39 36 34 33 33 31 30 30 29 29 28 28 27 26 26 26 25 25 25 25 24 24 22 21 21 21 19 19 19 19 18 12 TR BG US UK HR RO LT SK NL EE NM S12 CY HU BE EL NMS10 LV PL FR EU27 MT IE EU25 IT EU15 CZ PT FI SE DK LU SI DE AT ES Q1. On an average weekday, how much time, in total, do you spend watching television on your TV set? Age and the level of education impact viewing figures The time spent watching TV also correlates with age and the level of respondents education. The proportion of those who spend more than three hours a day watching television, during the working week, is the highest among those older than 55 (35%) and those citizens with the least amount of formal education (37%). Time spent watching TV on an average weekday, in the EU: by age, sex and level of educational attainment (%) More than 3 hours 1 hour - 3 hours Less than 1/2 hour - 1 hour 20 21 19 22 23 23 13 12 18 25 24 49 47 51 52 51 53 53 52 52 53 53 25 23 27 21 19 22 35 37 27 17 18 EU27 Male Female 15-24 25-39 40-54 55+ -15 16-20 20+ still in education Q1. On an average weekday, how much time, in total, do you spend watching television on your TV set?
2.2. Time spent watching TV at the weekend Weekend viewing figures are higher across all Member States, with Slovakia showing the biggest increase from weekday figures. People living in the NMS12 countries also watch significantly more television at the weekend than people in the EU15. Bulgarians, Slovaks, Lithuanians, Romanians and Hungarians are particularly likely to spend time in this way, as half, or even more than half, of their populations spend more than three hours per weekend day watching TV. The two candidate countries, Turkey and Croatia, are also among those countries where citizens spend a considerable amount of time watching weekend TV. Among Western European countries, again, the Brits spend the most time watching TV; half of all British citizens spend more than three hours on this activity on a typical weekend day. Comparing the weekday and weekend viewing figures, the biggest differences in Europe are seen in Slovakia, where the figures increase (for watching TV for over three hours per day) from 33 % (weekday) to 57% (weekend). On the other hand, the Italians hardly show any differences 24% during the week and 26% at the weekend. Time spent watching TV on a typical weekend day: for EU Member States, candidate countries and the US (%). More than 3 hours 1 hour - 3 hour Less than 1/2 hour - 1 hour No time at all / never 3 2 6 7 27 35 6 4 3 2 5 2 6 7 9 12 9 10 31 34 37 35 35 40 37 38 39 42 40 41 5 3 3 4 3 3 2 3 7 4 6 3 9 11 9 8 12 13 12 11 16 13 14 15 6 3 3 7 8 6 10 14 15 13 16 16 10 20 4 18 9 7 7 7 7 5 6 22 18 18 18 19 18 20 39 40 48 46 43 50 41 44 45 46 52 44 38 45 38 46 46 47 46 50 48 63 57 56 54 54 51 50 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 42 39 37 37 37 36 36 36 35 35 34 34 33 33 31 29 29 28 28 27 26 BG SK TR US LT HR RO HU UK NMS12 LV EE NMS10 PL CZ CY DK NL EU27 SE BE EU25 FR IE FI EU15 EL PT MT DE LU AT ES SI IT Q2. And on an average weekend day how much time, in total, do you spend watching television on your TV set? Analytical Report, page 15
Europe - US differences People living in the EU spend much less time watching television than their American counterparts. On an average weekday, a quarter of the EU s citizens (24%) watch TV for less than one hour, while the corresponding figure in the US is 15%. The majority of EU citizens watch television for between one and three hours per day, while a quarter (25%) watch for longer periods than that. However, on the other side of the Atlantic, nearly half (45%) of American citizens spend their time watching TV for more than three hours a day. Time spent watching TV during the working week: EU and the US (%). EU 4 no time at all / never US 1 2 25 20 Less than 1 hou r 13 1 hour - 3 hour More than 3 ho urs 45 DK / NA 40 51 Q1. On an average weekday, how much time, in total, do you spend watching television on your TV set? No time at all + never = No time at all / never Less than 1/2 hour + 1/2 hour to 1 hour = Less than 1 hour More than 1 hour, up to 2 hours + More than 2 hours, up to 3 hours = 1 hour 3 hours More than 3 hours, up to 4 hours + More than 4 hours, up to 5 hours + More than 5 hours = More than 3 hours DK/NA = DK/NA
At the weekend, both EU citizens and Americans spend more time watching TV (on each day) than on weekdays. The majority of Americans (54%) spend more than three hours viewing on a Saturday or Sunday, while a third (37%) of EU citizens do the same. One in five EU citizens (21%) and one in eight Americans (13%) spend less than one hour a day watching TV or do not watch TV at all at the weekend. Time spent watching TV on a typical weekend day: EU and the US (%). EU US 6 15 no time at all / never Less than 1/ 2 hour - 1 ho ur 4 9 37 1 hour - 3 hour More than 3 hours 54 34 43 Q2. And on an average weekend day how much time, in total, do you spend watching television on your TV set? Analytical Report, page 17
2.3. Time spent watching TV over the Internet Watching TV over the Internet is not yet commonplace in either the EU Member States or the US. Differences by Member States and candidate countries Within the EU Member States, there are no major differences in the spread of people watching television over the Internet. However, it is slightly more common in the NMS12 (7% viewing rates) than in the EU15 (5%). Among people using the Internet, this option is used in the highest proportion in the Czech Republic (12%), followed by the Latvian and Danish citizens. The lowest figures recorded are in France (3%), with a considerable number of other EU15 Member States at 4%. As for the candidate countries, one in 10 Turks and just 2% of Croats use the Internet to watch TV. Percentage of respondents watching TV over the Internet: for EU Member States, candidate countries and the US. (among those who have broadband internet connection, %) Watching tv over the Internet 12 11 10 10 9 8 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 86 90 89 90 90 91 92 91 92 92 93 92 91 93 92 92 93 91 94 93 93 94 94 95 94 94 92 94 95 93 93 92 96 97 95 CZ LV DK TR US SE UK RO NL SK SI LT BG IE NMS12 NMS10 DE EE MT EU27 AT EU15 EU25 FI CY PL PT BE LU HU ES EL IT FR HR No time at all / never Q4. And, on an average day, how much time, in total, do you spend watching television over the Internet?
Watching TV over the Internet is not yet a commonplace activity in either the EU or in the US. In the latter, 9% of people with Internet access watch TV in this way, while in the EU, the figure drops to just 6%. Time spent watching TV over the Internet: EU and US (among those who have a broadband Internet connection, %) EU US 1 1 4 More than 3 hours 1 1 1 6 1 hour - 3 hour Less than 1/2 hour - 1 hour no time at all / nev er 93 DK /N A 90 Q4. And, on an average day, how much time, in total, do you spend watching television over the Internet? Analytical Report, page 19
2.4. Watching specialised channels The most-watched specialised channels are those reporting local or regional news In the course of the interviews, respondents with access to cable or satellite TV were asked to say whether they watch specialised channels at least once a week. In the event, the most-watched specialised channels are those reporting local or regional news; twothirds (60%) of EU citizens, and a remarkable nine out of 10 (87%) US citizens watch such channels. The second most-watched specialist channels are the ones showing films, which are watched by twothirds (67%) of Americans, and more than half (58%) of EU citizens. Besides these channels, more than half of EU citizens watch, at least once a week, cultural channels, national 24-hour news programmes, sports and music channels. Travel channels are also popular, with 38% of EU citizens watching one or more of them every week. A similar number of people report tuning in to the international 24-hour news channels. Lower viewing figures exist for channels for children (29%), channels in a foreign language (26%) and community channels (25%). The lowest figures are, perhaps not surprisingly, registered for the channels dealing exclusively with political and parliamentary matters (22%). Types of specialist channels viewed: % EU and US (among those who watch news and have access to cable or satellite TV, % watched ) Local or regional channels 60 87 Cinem a / m ov ie channels 58 67 Cultural channels 55 56 National continuous news channel Sports channels 54 53 57 63 EU Music channels Travel channels 38 50 46 49 US Other specialised channels 38 63 International continuous news channels 33 37 Channels for children 29 40 Channels in a foreign language 11 26 Community channels 25 39 Channels dealing exclusively with political and parliamentary matters 22 36 Q15. Which of the following specialised channels do you watch at least once a week?
3. Programmes that people prefer to watch For respondents who do watch news programmes, questions were asked as to their preferred types of viewing. They were asked to choose their three favourite types of TV programmes. 3.1. Preferences within EU Member States and candidate countries Interest in the news is lower in the EU15 Member States but there are dramatic differences, e.g. Portugal 80% and Germany 30%. When asked to select the three types of programme that they most like to watch, the majority of the respondents selected news bulletins. Half of the EU citizens selected news (48%) as one of their first three choices: this figure was composed of a quarter (27%) selected news as the first choice, one in ten (12%) as the second choice, and almost as many for the third (9%) preference. Among EU Member States, the Portuguese view news programmes more than any other nationality, with eight out of 10 choosing that type of programme. They are followed by the Dutch, Belgians and Swedish (74%, 73% and 65% respectively). Least likely to choose the news as their favourite type of viewing are citizens of two of the Baltic countries: Estonia (23%) and Latvia (27%). Also with low rates of interest are British (31%), Germans (30%) and Maltese (33%) citizens. However, Germans do watch an above average number of documentaries (14% vs. 11% EU average), as do the Brits (17%). Among the candidate countries, the proportion of news consumers is high in Turkey; here eight out of 10 (79%) citizens selected news programmes, while people living in Croatia are someway below the EU average (48%), as only one in three Croatians (29%) prefer to watch news bulletins. Analytical Report, page 21
Preferences for watching TV news channels: by EU Member States, candidate countries and the US (%). (among those who watch news on TV and / or over the Internet, %) first mention second mention third m ention 9 13 8 14 15 10 24 16 56 55 42 44 11 6 5 9 9 15 11 13 9 11 7 15 10 12 11 7 12 12 15 13 12 15 12 15 39 43 45 39 38 32 32 33 28 30 32 26 10 10 8 8 8 9 9 7 9 7 15 11 13 13 11 12 12 13 12 13 29 28 25 28 30 27 26 26 26 24 11 10 14 14 8 8 8 11 9 7 5 5 8 9 6 10 4 4 17 18 24 14 12 15 15 16 15 PT TR NL BE SE EL CY RO LU PL ES IT LT NMS12 BG DK SI NMS10 AT FR SK EU27 EU25 US EU15 HU FI IE CZ MT UK DE HR LV EE Q12. Can you tell me which 3 types of TV programmes do you mainly watch/prefer to watch?
Younger citizens are not attracted by the news The youngest of the EU s citizens are the least likely to choose news as a preferred option; only onethird (36%) selected the news as one of their first three preferred options. The proportion of news consumers is the highest among the more highly-educated and the self-employed (54% and 53% respectively). Preferences for watching TV news programmes in the EU: by sex, age, level of education, locality and type of employment. (%) (among those who watch news on TV and / or over the Internet, %) first mention second mention third mention 9 10 9 12 13 12 12 9 13 8 9 13 12 9 14 9 12 8 12 13 9 10 9 13 12 12 9 15 8 9 10 12 12 12 27 27 27 10 25 31 30 27 25 34 10 26 27 27 29 27 27 26 14 14 EU27 Male Female 15-24 25-39 40-54 55+ -1 5 16-20 20+ still in education metropolitan zone other town rural zone Selfemployed Employees Manual workers Not working Q12. Can you tell me which 3 types of TV programmes do you mainly watch/prefer to watch? Analytical Report, page 23
European and American comparisons In regard to viewing the news, there is no significant difference in the EU and the US. As in the EU, almost half (46%) of US citizens selected news as one of their most preferred types of programme: one in four American listed news as their first choice (26%), 13 percent as the second, and 7 percent as the third. In terms of second and third preferences, EU citizens opted for movies (43%) and documentaries (30%), while Americans chose situation comedies (29%) and sports programmes (20%). Preferred TV programmes: % EU and the US (among those who watch news on TV and / or over the Internet, %) EU US News 27 12 9 News 26 13 7 Movies 14 15 14 Situation comedy 10 9 10 Documentary 11 11 8 Sports (including fitness) 10 6 4 Mini-series, soap operas 9 8 6 Drama 7 7 4 Entertainment specials 6 7 8 Movies 5 7 6 Sports (including fitness) 6 6 5 M ini-series, soap operas 4 6 6 Debates/discussion 4 5 3 Discovery/Nature... 5 2 5 Reality show 3 2 3 Discovery/N ature... 3 4 3 History 3 4 2 Culture - in general 3 3 3 Other news programmes 2 3 3 Action/adventure Others 3 3 2 5 13 9 fir st m e ntion second mention third mention fir st me ntion second mention third mention Q12. Can you tell me which 3 types of TV programmes do you mainly watch/prefer to watch?
4. Awareness and perception of television news channels This section focuses on the extent to which respondents are aware of international news channels, (i.e. those broadcasting to several countries), the frequency of viewing such channels and their opinions on which ones deliver the best coverage of EU-related news. 4.1. Awareness of international news channels CNN and the BBC dominate the landscape, but the awareness levels are not particularly high (with both reporting figures of 15% or under) We looked at the awareness of TV news channels in each country by asking respondents to name the international news channels that they have access to. Surprisingly, one-third of EU citizens questioned could not, or did not want to, name any international news channels. Taking all Member States in to consideration, CNN was the channel that first came to mind for the highest number of respondents (15%), followed by the BBC (at 10%). No other channel initially sprang to mind for respondents in any great numbers, although EuroNews and Skynews both managed a 3% recognition rating. Similar ratings went to National stations such as TF1 (France), RAI1 (Italy) and NTV (Turkey), with the latter having high ratings in Germany and Austria (both above 10%). The other" category includes channels that were each mentioned as a first choice - by less than 1 percent of respondents. International news channels that immediately spring to mind: in the EU and the US (among those who watch news on TV and / or over the Internet, %) EU US CNN, 15 other, 16 DK/ NA, 8 DK/ NA, 3 5 BBC, 10 NBC News, 8 CNN, 27 n- tv, 3 TF1, 3 RAI 1, 3 CBS News, 9 other, 1 8 Arte, 1 Canale 5, 1 EuroNews, 3 Skynews, 3 TVN, 2 ARD, 1 POLSAT, 1 N24, 1 Fox News, 13 ABC News, 20 Q19a. Could you name all news television channels that not only broadcast in [NAME OF COUNTRY], that you have access to? First response Analytical Report, page 25
We next looked at the overall awareness of the two channels that dominated the findings CNN and the BBC. These figures show not only those responses that first came to mind, but also any other mentions of those specific channels. Awareness of CNN Amongst citizens in all of the EU Member States, the Dutch (55%), Swedish (55%) and Danish (48%) are those that are most aware of this American news channel. The least likely to be aware of the channel are the Italians (10%), French (10%) and Finnish (12%). Note: France, Italy and Finland are three of the countries that have access rates to cable and / or satellite of below 50% (see section 1). Approximately one-fifth of Turkish and Croatian respondents (16% and 21%, respectively) are aware of CNN and its output. In the European countries, males, those younger than 55, graduates and metropolitan residents are more aware of this American channel than other demographic groupings. Awareness of the CNN news channel: in the EU, the candidate countries and the US (%) (among those who watch news on TV and / or over the Internet, %) immediate recognition other mentions 31 20 18 17 20 35 37 31 18 12 14 26 12 7 14 16 27 23 21 27 23 9 20 24 16 14 9 12 10 10 10 16 14 15 15 14 5 16 8 9 5 7 19 17 15 13 14 7 7 9 8 9 13 11 12 10 10 6 7 9 7 6 7 9 6 6 5 5 5 5 US NL SE DK MT HU BG AT IE DE SI LV UK PT BE EU15 EU27 EU25 ES SK RO NMS12 EL HR LT NMS10 EE CY TR CZ LU PL FI FR IT Awareness of the BBC Q19a/b. Could you name all news television channels that not only broadcast in [NAME OF COUNTRY], that you have access to? Not surprisingly, BBC has the most recognition in the UK, where more than half of the population (57%) are aware of its international credentials and have access to this news channel. The Irish are aware of this channel in nearly the same proportion (50%). In the other Member States, the awareness of the BBC is somewhat lower. The proportion of citizens aware of the BBC is relatively higher in Sweden (42%), the Netherlands (39%), Denmark (39%) and Hungary (33%). On the other hand, awareness of this channel is lower in France (6%), Italy (8%) and Spain (9%). Again, these are countries where cable and satellite access is relatively rare. It should also be noted that as well as this North-South divide, there is also a marked difference between the EU15 (22%) and the NMS12 (17%), which may be due to more to the BBC s own
coverage over cable, as NMS12 countries do depend more on that means of access compared to satellite. Recognition rates in the candidate countries Turkey and Croatia are respectively of 5% and 11%. Awareness of the BBC news channel: in the EU, candidate countries and the US (%). (among those who watch news on TV or/and over internet, %) immediate recognition other mentions 20 35 22 37 24 23 22 19 17 UK 15 IE 20 SE 15 NL 16 DK 11 14 11 11 11 11 11 11 10 10 7 HU LV MT EU15 BG EU25 EU27 15 12 13 7 1 3 10 13 10 11 8 8 7 4 6 5 5 BE DE AT FI PT LT SI CY 11 10 6 6 NMS12 NMS10 11 11 11 7 6 8 7 5 4 4 SK RO EE CZ EL 8 5 PL 8 9 4 2 LU HR 6 4 3 4 ES IT 5 2 FR 2 3 TR 0 US Q19a/b. Could you name all news television channels that not only broadcast in [NAME OF COUNTRY], that you have access to? US awareness of international news channels CNN was also the channel that first came to mind (27%) in the US, followed in this case by ABC News (20%). The FOX News (13%), CBS News (9%) and NBC News (8%) channels were also mentioned as a first choice - by a number of respondents. Sixteen percent of American mentioned other channels, and 8 percent could not, or did not want to, specify news channels. Note that the BBC channel did not occur to any US respondents as a means of watching international news. Analytical Report, page 27
4.2. Frequency of watching the news channels the ones that first spring to mind Rates of watching the most recognisable news channels - are similar in the EU and the US In the EU, among those respondents who are aware of international news channels, more than one third (38%) mentioned that they watch the channel (first mentioned by them) every day; a quarter watch it several times a week and 13% several times a month. On the whole, three-quarters of EU citizens, of those aware of international news channels, watch the news programme that first comes to mind several times a month. Among EU citizens aware of international news channels, Slovaks, Luxemburgers, Maltese, Czechs, Polish, Italians, Estonians and Belgians (nine out of 10) are the most likely to watch the news channels most known by them on a regular basis. Respondents in the candidate countries also watch the news channels most known by them in high proportions. Conversely, Swedish and Danish citizens are less likely to watch the channel that first comes to their mind (43%, 49% respectively). Frequency of watching the international news channel that first comes to mind: for the EU Member States, US and the candidate countries. (among those who watch news on TV and / or over the Internet, and those who answered q19 %) Ev ery day or almost Several times a week Several times a month Less often never DK /N A 0 21 01 1 1 1 5 3 4 0 20 4 0 0 3 2 1 0 0 1 1 1 2 3 4 2 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 5 5 4 8 5 5 5 4 4 2 2 1 5 7 8 8 8 6 5 4 5 4 8 9 10 10 10 9 10 12 11 6 14 16 13 11 14 18 18 12 12 10 15 18 19 9 20 21 23 10 11 11 9 21 19 20 26 22 12 80 11 12 18 33 32 11 26 12 13 16 13 13 19 13 67 30 26 17 14 13 15 13 26 26 29 19 33 20 16 17 62 59 32 30 26 58 26 25 21 25 14 18 16 20 52 32 25 24 24 50 50 50 22 49 45 44 45 40 41 43 43 23 41 31 27 26 39 38 38 36 36 22 24 33 27 29 26 25 23 23 22 15 5 2 3 6 13 13 32 28 34 18 13 18 24 22 20 19 21 11 0 15 42 16 17 11 TR SK LU MT CZ PL IT HR NMS10 EE BE HU IE FR NM S12 UK LV US EU25 EU27 EU15 CY SI FI AT NL DE LT BG PT ES EL RO DK SE Q20. Do you watch [FIRST RESPONSE IN Q19], every day or almost, several times a week, several times a month or less often?
The US situation US citizens watch the news channel that first comes to their mind more frequently than is the case with EU respondents. In the US, among those who are aware of international news channels, 43% said that they watch the channel - which they first mentioned - every day. On the whole, three-quarters of US citizens, aware of international news channels, watch their best-known channel on a weekly basis. Frequency of watching the international news channel that first comes to mind: EU and US (among those who watch news on TV and / or over the Internet, and those who answered q19 %) EU US DK/ NA, 1 never, 5 never, 8 Less often, 19 Every day or almost, 38 Less often, 15 Every day or almost, 43 Several times a month, 13 Several times a month, 13 Several times a week, 25 Sev eral times a week, 21 Q20. Do you watch [FIRST RESPONSE IN Q19], every day or almost, several times a week, several times a month or less often? Analytical Report, page 29
4.3. The most appreciated news channels for reporting on the EU The BBC is the international channel held in the highest regard, followed by Euronews and CNN. But the response levels are low for all channels. The majority of EU residents (56%) cold not, or did not want to, answer the question as to which international news channel treats European issues the best. Most respondents specified local and national channels, which were only mentioned by less than 1 % of the total number of interviewees these were placed in the other response category (15%). Only a quarter of EU citizens mentioned an international channel that would deal fairly with European affairs. The BBC sprang to mind immediately for 7% of EU citizens, and fewer numbers mentioned the Euronews, CNN and Skynews channels (4%, 4% and 2%, respectively). It is interesting to note that after the BBC, the channel that is seen to give the best presentation of EUrelated news is Euronews, mentioned slightly more frequently than CNN. Channels that immediately come to mind in terms of providing the best coverage of European affairs: EU and US (among those who watch news on TV and / or over the Internet, %) EU USA TVN24, 1 TF1, 1 N24, 1 RAI 1, 1 Arte, 1 ARD, 2 TVN, 2 n-tv, 2 Skynews, 2 other, 15 Other, 11 Headline News, 1 CNBC, 1 MSNBC, 2 CBS News, 2 NBC News, 2 ABC News, 3 Fox News, 8 DK/NA, 35 CNN, 4 EuroNews, 4 BBC, 7 DK/NA, 56 BBC America, 8 CNN, 27 Q21. Thinking of all the news channels broadcasting in several countries, in your opinion, which are the ones that best deal with European affairs, the European Union? First response
British and Irish citizens mentioned BBC, in the highest proportions, as one of the best channels for broadcasting European issues. However, the BBC is not held in particularly high regard for reporting EU news by the French (1%), Austrians (3%), Luxemburgers (3%) and Italians (3%). The Turks (1%) share this view. Opinions about the BBC and its coverage of European affairs: within the EU Member States, the US and candidate countries. (among those who watch news on TV and / or over the Internet, %) immediately springs to mind other mentions 11 30 15 UK 4 15 15 IE DK 9 9 LV 7 7 MT 6 2 11 8 HU SE 4 6 6 6 3 4 3 4 2 5 8 8 7 7 9 4 5 5 4 6 5 6 6 5 5 5 4 5 NL RO EE CZ EU15 EU27 EU25 LT EL PT SI CY BG NM S12 2 4 6 4 FI NMS10 4 4 2 2 3 3 4 2 1 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 01 BE SK ES HR PL DE IT LU AT FR TR 0 US Q21. Thinking of all the news channels broadcasting in several countries, in your opinion, which are the ones that best deal with European affairs, the European Union? First response The US situation A third of the Americans could not answer this question (35%), while CNN came to the mind of the most people (27%) as the best channel for reporting European affairs. CNN was followed by BBC America and FOX News (both with 8%). Analytical Report, page 31
5. Interest in the news This section looks at interest in the news within the EU Member States, the US and in the two candidate countries. 5.1. News programmes on television Although Americans spend more time watching TV than Europeans, people in the EU tend to watch more news programmes on a daily basis. The EU Member State / candidate country breakdown Three-quarters (76%) of EU citizens watch television news programmes every day: a third of them (32%) several times a day, and almost one in two (44%) once a day. The biggest news aficionados among EU Member States are the citizens of Italy, Portugal, Romania, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Poland, Denmark and Spain, where the proportion of daily news watchers reaches or exceeds 80% of the population. The French and the Czech citizens are not particularly keen on keeping in touch with the news in this way; in these countries only six out of 10 citizens are likely to watch TV news. In the candidate countries, Turkey and Croatia, the proportion of daily news watchers is especially high. Nearly the whole population (87%) in Croatia and a similar proportion in Turkey (83%), watch news programmes every day. Viewing habits for watching TV news programmes: by EU Member States, candidate countries and the US (%) several times a day once every day several times per week once a week less often Never 3 3 4 5 3 3 1 2 5 2 3 5 3 3 5 2 6 5 1 2 5 3 3 5 4 3 5 4 7 7 4 5 4 6 3 5 4 4 2 2 5 5 5 5 2 7 5 5 7 6 9 6 8 6 7 7 9 5 7 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 5 5 6 0 3 3 2 5 3 3 3 4 7 9 5 3 5 5 3 9 4 4 4 3 4 5 6 3 5 5 8 9 9 13 10 12 12 3 4 4 4 5 6 4 7 5 4 8 11 12 11 18 8 11 11 11 5 12 14 12 16 16 13 15 17 14 18 12 21 20 39 41 40 47 36 40 47 38 43 46 35 40 44 45 47 41 44 50 44 45 53 45 42 49 52 49 45 47 51 41 48 40 51 40 37 48 46 43 36 46 42 35 42 37 34 43 38 34 33 30 35 32 26 31 30 22 29 31 24 21 23 26 24 20 28 21 28 16 23 25 H R IT TR PT RO BG NL PL DK ES FI NMS12 LT HU EE NMS10 EU27 DE EU25 EU15 CY LV EL UK BE SK IE AT SI SE LU US MT CZ FR Q6. On average, do you watch news programmes on television?
Age and education are key factors Among EU citizens, those who spend the most time watching TV, that is, the elderly and those with the lowest levels of education, are also the most likely to watch news programmes. Half of the people older than 55 (47%) watch several news programmes a day, while only one-fifth of those aged in the 15-24 bracket do this (18%). A significant number of people that left school before the age of 16 (43%) watch several news programmes a day. Watching TV news programmes in the EU: by sex, age, level of education, locality and type of employment. (%) several times a day once every day several times per week once a w ee k less often never 5 5 5 8 6 5 4 5 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 7 5 4 6 5 5 7 5 2 4 4 3 4 4 4 6 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 5 6 4 4 5 4 9 9 4 4 5 3 4 11 11 11 11 11 10 8 7 13 7 12 11 13 14 14 12 44 43 45 16 47 47 40 41 45 45 16 43 43 46 45 49 44 40 42 43 32 33 31 18 24 31 47 43 32 29 18 31 35 29 28 23 30 39 EU27 Male Female 15-24 25-39 40-54 55+ -15 16-20 20+ still in education metropolitan zone other town rural zone Selfemployed Employees Manual workers Not working Q6. On average, do you watch news programmes on television? Analytical Report, page 33
The picture in the US Although Americans spend more time watching TV than Europeans, people in the EU tend to watch more news programmes on a daily basis. Across the Atlantic, two-thirds of US citizens (68%) watch news programmes on a daily basis, and almost one-third (28%) of them tune-in several times per day. As for people who never watch the news, the numbers are low for both EU and US citizens (5% and 2% respectively). Frequency of watching TV news programmes: EU and the US (%) EU several times a day US 4 5 once every day 7 2 4 32 several times per week 6 28 11 once a week less often 18 never DK/NA 44 40 Q6. On average, do you watch news programmes on television?
5.2. News delivered over the Internet Relatively few people watch news programmes over the Internet. In the US, two-thirds of the population (68%) never watch such programmes over the Net, although one in seven Americans (15%) do this several times per week. In the EU, this type of news watching is less widespread. Eight out of 10 Union citizens do not watch news programmes over the Internet, and only 12% watch such programmes at least once per week. Watching news programmes over the Internet: EU and the US (%) EU US 2 2 5 3 2 6 several tim es a day 3 3 6 6 once ev e ry day several tim es per w eek 7 once a w ee k less often 8 never DK /N A 68 79 Q7. On average, do you watch news programmes over the internet: Analytical Report, page 35
Country habits In the Member States, watching news programmes over the Internet is the most widespread in Germany and the Czech Republic, where a third (36% and 33%, respectively) of the population use this option. The French, Finnish and Cypriots are the least likely to watch news programmes, with viewing figures falling under 10 percent in these countries. Looking at the candidate countries, the Turkish (18%) are more in line with the EU average, while only 9% of the Croatians use the Internet to watch news programmes. Watching news programmes over the Internet: responses for the EU Member States, candidate countries and the US (%) yes * nev er 36 33 30 23 21 20 19 19 19 19 18 18 18 18 18 17 16 16 16 15 14 14 14 13 13 13 12 11 11 10 10 9 9 8 8 62 65 68 77 78 77 79 79 79 80 81 82 81 76 82 82 82 79 83 80 85 84 86 85 85 85 88 87 89 89 86 89 91 91 90 DE CZ US LV IT HU EU 25 EU15 EU 27 NMS10 DK SI UK TR SE NMS12 PT AT PL MT IE ES LU EE BG RO NL LT SK BE EL HR CY FI FR Q7. On average, do you watch news programmes over the internet * several times a day + once every day + several times per week + once a week + less often :