用欣賞指數量度電視節目品質──香港的經驗

Using Appreciation Index to Measure Television Program Quality-- The Hong Kong Experience

要了解電視收看行為，除了傳統的收視率調查外，近年一些國家採用了「欣賞指數」等工具來評估電視節目的品質。香港在1998年由電視業界進行了大型的電視欣賞指數調查，以測試欣賞指數的有效性及把它作為收視率調查的補充資料。一般而言，欣賞指數和收視率存在中等的正關係，但它們的關係受到節目類型的影響。新聞和資訊節目有較高的欣賞指數但只有較低的收視／認知率，娛樂節目則有較低的欣賞指數但其收視／認知率較高。香港的研究結果和英美等地的發現基本相同，但新聞及公共事務節目的表現卻和資訊節目有異。研究顯示，欣賞指數是一項頗為穩定的優質電視節目指標，而且它和收視率在概念上理應分開。使用欣賞指數和收視／認知率為準則，本研究把電視節目重新分類，並描述了不同節目種類的比例與特點。

Apart from traditional TV ratings surveys, some countries have used the appreciation index (AI) and other measuring tools to evaluate the quality of television programs. In 1998, the television industry in Hong Kong also carried out a large-scale survey to validate AI and use it as data to supplement TV ratings. Generally speaking, there is a moderately positive correlation between AI and TV ratings among television programs, but the relationship is influenced to a certain extent by program type. News and information programs tend to have higher AI scores but lower ratings/awareness, while entertainment programs have lower AI scores but higher ratings/awareness. Findings in the Hong Kong survey generally agree with those in other countries, but news and public affairs programs differ from information programs in terms of AI pattern. AI proves to be a stable measure of television program quality and it is conceptually different from traditional TV ratings. Combining AI and TV ratings, this study proposes a new classification of television programs.