ATV is considering hiring a second pollster to check viewing figures, suggesting its poor showings in the ratings war with TVB might partly be due to 'outdated research methods' used by its current audience monitor.
Lai Man-cheuk, controller of promotion and publicity for ATV, said it might use a second company to see if the figures matched those provided by Nielsen Media Research.
'We have got some clients asking why the ratings of some of our programmes often lag far behind TVB's, even when the shows get good reviews. We wonder if this is something to do with the polling method,' he said.
Mr Lai said the broadcaster had informally passed its concerns to the company.
'Nielsen has been polling for us for decades. Perhaps some of the steps it adopts are outdated and responsible perhaps for the unusually low ratings of our programmes,' he said. 'That affects our revenue and clients. We might hire a second company to make comparisons.'
He said the new management, headed by mainland-backed businessman Liu Changle, who took over the station last month, would make a decision soon.