Abstract:
Viewers' choice for the news channels is a physiological phenomenon, varies for each
viewer. The future of any economic entity is determined by the customers' choice. Private news
channels use various strategies to attract viewers to face the high competition of the news channels
industry in Sri Lanka. The main objective of the study is to identify viewer characteristics and factors
affected to the viewers' choice on private news channels. Primary data was mainly used by the study
through a questionnaire. 25 academic staff members and 25 nonacademic staff members, 25
students in Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka and 25 villages in Pabahinna Grama Niladhari
division were selected by the study by using a convenience sampling method. Chi square test statistic
was used to identify the determinants. Study found that viewers' political party, residential sector,
age of the viewer, choice of family members, time that the news telecasted, coverage and reliability
of the broadcasted news are the very important factors that the viewers' consider before choosing a
news channel. The most significant fact revealed by the study is that gender, level of education and
working status of the person are not the basic reasons for selection of a news channel. Most of
viewers are rural resident and 100% of urban resident watching privet news channels. Females are
watch news than males. Approximately more than 70% of the subjects watch Hiru TV news and
therefore according to this study famous private news channel is Hiru TV.
