Just over half of all individuals who get their local news online have quoted timesomalta.com as their preferred source, making it the most popular local news portal, according to a survey by the Authority. Broadcast.

Times of Malta was the preferred local news portal for all age groups with a 53% follow-up, more than double the share of all other Maltese news sites combined.

Then came tvm.com.mt with 10.2%.

Lovinmalta.com was third with 5.1% and Maltatoday.com was fourth with 4%.

The Times of Malta currently receives an average of 125,000 unique visitors per day with over half a million page views per day. The trend combines another successful year behind the record 2020 figures.

The BA survey showed that television remains the most preferred source of local news with 43% of respondents (903 respondents) followed by social media (21.4%) and then the online news portals.

Radio comes in fourth with 6%.

Among those who prefer television, 38.6% said they watch their TVM.

ONE gained 28% and NET TV 12.7%.

Online Maltese programs

Facebook is the most used platform to watch Maltese programs online, with 80% of all online viewers citing it as one of the online platforms used to watch Maltese programs online.

A total of 22% used lovinmalta.com, followed by YouTube and the Times of Malta.

But the BA warned that viewers of Maltese online programs are so low that the figures must be treated with caution.