Average Viewership of PSB Programmes

Viewership targets1 for (funded and locally produced) PSB programmes were set by television channel and genre based on each channel’s target demographic group.

Across the channels, the average percentage of targets2 met was 104%.The total reach of PSB programmes in FY2015 was 90.6% (4.735 million) of viewers aged four and above.

PSB programmes3 were also made available for catch-up viewing online via the “Toggle” platform. The platform garnered a total of 6.1 million unique viewers drawing over 93 million views in FY15.

A summary of the average viewership of PSB programmes across FTA TV channels in FY20154 is as follows:



Channel Target Demographic Channel Descriptions/Prime Time5 Ratings in FY2015 Average Prime Time Ratings of Local PSB Programmes Across Genres Total Reach6 of Local PSB Programmes (by Channel)
Channel 5 P4+7 24-hour English entertainment channel targeting a mass audience with local productions, including news and foreign acquired programmes. Average prime time rating of 2.0% (103,000). 1.7% (87,000) 59.3% (3,100,000)
Channel 8 P4+ 24-hour Mandarin general entertainment channel targeting a mass audience with local productions, including news and foreign acquired programmes.Average prime time rating of 9.7% (507,000). 9.5% (498,000) 70.4% (3,679,000)
Channel U CUME 15+8 Mandarin entertainment channel targeting youth and working professionals with local productions, including news and foreign acquired programmes.Average prime time rating of 3.8% (174,000). 4.3% (196,000) 40.3% (1,837,000)
Channel NewsAsia (Singapore) CUME PMEB9 (above $5k) and P15+ Special interest news and information channel targeting working professionals with the provision of primarily locally produced content.Average prime time rating of 1.2% (5,600) for CUME PMEB (above $5k) and 0.6% (29,000) for CUME P15+. PMEB - 2.4% (11,000)
P15+ - 1.6% (71,000)		 PMEB - 63.2% (284,000)
P15+ - 52.2% (2,378,000)
okto P4-1210 and P15+ Special interest channel with daytime and early evening timebelts for children and evening timebelt for youths and the local arts community. Offers a mix of locally produced and foreign acquired children’s, information and arts/culture programmes. Average prime time rating of 2.0% (11,000) for the children’s belt and 0.2% (11,000) for the arts/culture belt. P4-12 -2.0% (11,000)
P15+ -0.2% (11,000)		 P4-12 -36.3% (196,000)
P15+ -10.8% (491,000)
Suria M4+11 Malay language general entertainment channel catering to the community with local productions and acquired programmes from the region.Average prime time rating of 12.6% (92,000). 14.6% (107,000) 93.0% (680,000)
Vasantham Ind4+12 Tamil language general entertainment channel catering to the Indian community with local and acquired productions from Indian markets.Average prime time rating of 9.0% (53,000). 10.2% (60,000) 81.8% (483,000)


PSB Satisfaction Survey

To further gauge viewers’ responses to PSB programmes, MDA conducts an annual PSB public satisfaction survey13 which measures public satisfaction levels with attributes such as programme quality, engagement and informative value, and public service value. In FY15, 71% of respondents indicated that their satisfaction level with PSB was high, compared to 70% in FY14 and 69% in CY13.



Accumulated PSB reserves from unutilised RTV license fees

The PSB reserves accumulated over the period FY2003 to FY2015 from unutilised RTV licence fees amounts to S$48.7million as at 31 March 2016.





  • 1 Refers to ratings and reach targets. “Ratings” measure the percentage (or number) of viewers watching a programme at any one point during the programme’s telecast. “Reach” is the total percentage (or number) of unduplicated individuals who tune into a TV programme over a given time period (based on the Kantar Media “Television Audience Measurement” system).
  • 2 Based on weighted channel and genre-based viewership targets for PSB. “Weighted” viewership takes into account (i) the degree to which targets are met or unmet; and (ii) the relative number of each genre and channels’ PSB hours vis-à-vis total PSB hours for the year of assessment. Targets were revised in FY2015 (with some increases made).
  • 3 PSB programmes on Channel 5, Channel 8, Channel U, CNA, okto, Suria and Vasantham
  • 4 Viewership is measured based on fiscal year FY2015 i.e. (from April 2015 – March 2016)
  • 5 Channels’ prime time refers to 7pm-11pm for Channels 5, 8, U, CNA, Suria and Vasantham. okto’s primetime for its children’s belt is weekdays 9am-9pm/ weekends 7am-9pm, and 10pm-12mn daily for okto’s arts belt. This would include PSB-funded and non-funded programmes.
  • 6 Based on whole-day viewing
  • 7 “P4+” refers to people aged 4 and above (where the 2014 and 2015 potential viewer base is 5,145,000 and 5,224,000)
  • 8 “CUME” refers to the cumulative figure of the ratings of a programme telecast across one week and “P15+” refers to viewers aged 15 years and above. (P15+ potential viewer base in 2014 and 2015 is 4,470,000 and 4,554,000)
  • 9 “PMEB (above $5k)” refers to professionals, managers, executives and businessmen with monthly income of S$5,000 and above. (2014 and 2015 potential viewer base at 435,000 and 449,000)
  • 10 “P4-12” refers to people aged 4 to 12 (2014 and 2015 potential viewer base at 543,000 and 540,000)
  • 11 “M4+” refers to Malays aged 4 and above (2014 and 2015 potential viewer base at 682,000 and 732,000)
  • 12 “Ind 4” refers to Indians aged 4 and above (2014 and 2015 potential viewer base at 582,000 and 590,000)
  • 13 Source: GfK, Public Service Broadcast (PSB) Public Satisfaction Survey FY2015 (as of Q3, Dec 2015) and FY2014; Degree Census, PSB Public Satisfaction Survey CY2013
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