Moldovans and TV. What is their consumption behavior for the products offered by TV

From the second half of the past century, the TV became an indispensable part of the way to spend free time in the Western countries. In the ex-soviet space and particularly in Moldova, the TV became accessible only in the 1990s, but spread through the households of Moldovans quite quickly and became one of the most popular sources of information and entertainment.

Who?

Magenta Consulting has researched the degree of popularity of television among Moldovans. The survey has shown that 71% of the inhabitants of the Republic of Moldova have only one TV in their household. 20% of Moldovans have two TVs in their homes, only 4% - three TVs and only one percent of population has at most four TVs in their homes.  

Among the ones who possess only one TV in their own dwelling, the majority are from rural areas, from the South area of the Republic of Moldova, unemployed, and those who have a monthly income of under 3 000 lei. The category of those who have two TVs in the house is represented to a great extent by Moldovans from cities, aged between 22 and 25 years, who are in a cohabitation relationship, are freelance professionals and have an average monthly income of over 20 000 lei.

Number of TVs in the household,%

How often?

Almost all of the Moldovans, meaning 94% watch TV and only 5% claimed they did not follow what was happening on TV. A large share of those who have no time or are not in the mood for TV are persons who are divorced, windows/widowers, those who have at least elementary studies and those who are older than 61 years.

When asked how often they turn on the TV, 62% of respondents answered they watched it daily, 10% - between four and six days a week, also 10% - two or three days per week, and 4% watch TV only once a week. Among the persons who watch TV are mostly women, inhabitants of the South region of the country, persons who are married and widows/widowers, retirees and those who have vocational secondary education. It is important to mention that the share of those who watch TV increases directly proportional with their advancement in age. The category of Moldovans who include the TV from two to six days per week is represented in a larger number by respondents between 16 and 21 years of age, men, and those who are divorced or are in a cohabitation relationship.

Frequency of watching TV,%

How many hours?

Magenta Consulting has also found out how many days Moldovans spend in front of their TVs. Thus, most of them – 31% are those who watch TV channels two hours per day. 25% of respondents claim they watch TV an hour per day, and 21% - three hours per day. The share decreases at the same time with the increase of the number of hours offered to TV programs. Therefore, Moldovans watch TV in average 2.7 hours per day.

Among those who offer the TV 2 hours per day, in a larger number are found the employees of private companies and freelance professionals. Moldovans from villages, the central region of the Republic of Moldova, men, single persons and pupils represent a higher share of the people who watch TV an hour per day. And the group of Moldovans who watch TV three hours per day is constituted preponderantly from persons from the North area of the country, unemployed interviewees, with ages between 26 and 30 years old and those who are in a cohabitation relationship with their partner.

Time spent watching TV,%

How do we deal with advertising breaks?

The Magenta Consulting team aimed to find out what Moldovans do when the program or movie they watch on TV is interrupted by an advertising break. More than half, 59% of respondents claimed they change the channel to one that does not show advertising at the moment.

Many are those who tolerate advertising – 35% of Moldovans. 11% of interviewees answered that the advertising break is suitable for an excursion from the TV to the kitchen in order to get something to eat. And 6%, while advertising is being broadcasted, check their email, their accounts from social networks and the phone in general.

Women are more tolerant towards advertising compared to men, but they most often choose to go to the kitchen for food during advertising breaks. Among those who refuse to watch advertising there are more of those who live in the rural environment or in the Southern area of Moldova, persons with secondary vocational education and those who have a monthly income of over 20 000 lei.

More tolerant towards advertising are mostly the Moldovans who live in the urban areas, those over 60 years of age, and therefore also retirees, widowers and widows and persons who have at least elementary education. The inhabitants of the central area of the Republic of Moldova, the persons who have an income from 10 000 lei and higher and those who have their own business represent preponderantly the group of Moldovans who choose the kitchen and food at the expense of the advertising break. And among those who pay more attention to their phones and online socialization the majority are young people who are at most 21 years old and single persons.

With one or several TVs in a dwelling, almost all of us watch it daily, or several times a week, in average we offer it 2,7 hours per day and consume both programs and advertising, as well as the cookies that await us in the kitchen during advertising breaks.

Methodology: The survey was carried out by Magenta Consulting on a sample of 1129 persons. The data from this survey are representative at national level and have an error margin of ±3% with a confidence interval of 95%. The data were collected in the period 22 September - 8 October, 2015