95% of Paks prefer Urdu TV news channels: survey

Islamabad, May 22, IRNA -- While news channels are increasingly initiating different news choices for English and Urdu news, it is seen that 95 percent of all Pakistani TV Viewers prefer Urdu language for news channels, findings of a survey said Friday.

Only 3 percent say they watch news in English while the remaining 2% either do not watch news or gave no response, according to a survey carried out by Gallup Pakistan.

A nationally representative sample of TV viewing men and women from across the country were asked “Nowadays the number of news channels working in the country is increasing on a daily basis. Many news channels have made separate channels for both Urdu and English news.

For news do you personally watch Urdu news channels or English?”
95% of the respondents claimed that they watch news in Urdu, 3% said they watch English news channels whereas 2% of them said they either do not watch news or gave no response.

The respondents were here principally making a choice only between the two languages, said the survey.

Nowadays the number of news channels working in the country is increasing on a daily basis. Many news channels have made separate channels for both Urdu and English news.

The study was released by Gilani foundation and carried out by Gallup Pakistan, the Pakistani affiliate of Gallup International.

The recent survey was carried out among a sample of 2742 men and women in rural and urban areas of all four provinces of the country, during May 2010. Error margin is estimated to be approximately + 2-3 percent at 95% confidence level./end