China's television audience reached 1.205 billion in 2007, 90 million more than that of 2002 and twice that of 1987, a new survey released on Wednesday revealed.

About 99.89 percent of Chinese households owned televisions, according to the survey initiated by the China Central Television Station (CCTV) and conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics.

The figures considered viewers four years of age and older.

The survey said that more cable TV and satellite channels had been introduced into ordinary families. Each household now had access to an average of 32.4 channels, twice that of 2002.

In addition, television has become the most popular medium among ordinary Chinese, it said.

The survey covered 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, excluding the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan.

Altogether, 11,822 people above age 13 were polled. It also polled 2,005 children between the ages of four and 12.

The survey, introduced in 1987, has been conducted every five years. It was designed to learn about the demand of TV audiences and assist in program development in order to improve content and better satisfy audience demand.
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(Xinhua News Agency December 20, 2007)