According to the survey, Sharjah TV clocked 64% of viewership, while Sharjah Radio had a listenership of 60%.
TV viewership and radio listenership stand at 93.2% in Sharjah, compared to 91.7% in the UAE as a whole, according to a nationwide survey conducted by Sharjah Broadcasting Authority (SBA) in cooperation with OMNES Media. According to the report, 56% of the surveyed audience watch television for less than five hours a day; around 23% watch for five to 10 hours daily; while 9% spend between 10 to 15 hours on TV programmes.
The survey revealed the wide reach of the SBA channels and stations across the UAE. Sharjah TV clocked 64% of viewership, while Sharjah Radio had a listenership of 60%. The listenership of Pulse 95 Radio was 41.5%, and that of Quran Radio was more than 68%.
The survey aimed to gauge the outreach and popularity of SBA’s TV and radio channels, and the UAE audience’s evaluation of their offerings. With people spending more time at home due to Covid-19, the survey also highlights the change in preferences and interests of audiences and whether and how it had affected their choice of content.
Mohammed Hassan Khalaf, Director-General, SBA, said that the survey sample covered all segments of the UAE community in terms of gender, age nationality and educational level. It was conducted by a third party “to ensure precise and transparent results”. About 26,000 people participated in the survey, and were sent digital questionnaires via e-mail or on social media by the OMNES Media Survey system.
He added: “The local broadcasting sector lacks updated information and reliable data on its audience outreach, programming and content demand. This is the reason SBA included periodic surveys into its new strategy to better understand the UAE audience, and provide the kind of content that viewers and listeners desire.”
The survey results indicated that 68% of the respondents prefer to watch television in the evening, 15% at midnight, and the remaining 17% prefer daytime. Furthermore, 67% of the survey respondents listen to radio in the morning, 27% at mid-day and the remaining 16% from evening to around midnight.
Around 35% of participants prefer music programmes, 31% talk shows, 15% news programmes, while 11.6% like religious shows and 2% sports programmes.
In terms of demographics, 32% of the participants were residents of Sharjah and Dubai. Abu Dhabi accounted for 21% of the respondents, Ajman 9%, and the other Emirates 6%.
