Epidemic-related TV programs gain in popularity amid coronavirus outbreak

The ratings of television programs related to epidemic prevention and control have continued to rise, while news programs have seen the biggest gains, said China's National Radio and Television Administration.

Chinese people spent about seven hours per day watching TV from Jan. 25 to Feb. 9, during which the country was fighting against the outbreak of COVID-19, figures released by the administration showed.

The broadcasting time of epidemic-related programs on national satellite TV channels on Feb. 1 was 14.6 times longer than that on Jan. 25.

The ratings of the evening news on local satellite TV channels across China have increased significantly, with ratings in 12 provinces up more than 50 percent, according to the data.

The ratings of the evening news on satellite TV in the hardest-hit Hubei Province have gone up 531 percent, and the number of viewers has increased 906 percent, the data showed.