Best Three Global Television Networks

Measuring the “best” television stations around the world is a subjective exercise that involves several key metrics. These include viewership numbers, journalistic credibility, bias, and the influence of ownership and government control.

Let’s break this down into categories:

1. Viewership

Viewership is one of the easiest ways to measure the popularity of a television station. This is usually based on ratings, audience size, and global reach. Some of the largest TV networks by viewership include:

• BBC [UK]: The British Broadcasting Corporation [public] has global recognition, and its shows like BBC News reach millions worldwide. It is known for its extensive news coverage.

• CNN [USA]: As one of the privately run and leading news networks globally, CNN has a large viewership, especially in the Americas, with a strong presence in international markets.
• Al Jazeera [Qatar]: This network has a large global reach, especially in the Middle East and North Africa [state funded]. It covers both regional and international news with a comprehensive approach.

2. Journalistic Credibility/Bias
3. Journalistic credibility is about providing factual, unbiased news coverage and having a reputation for quality journalism. This is often based on the perceived reliability and trustworthiness of the outlet.
4. Bias refers to the slant or political inclination of the network. Some networks are criticised for promoting a particular ideological stance, while others strive for neutrality:

• BBC: Known for its impartial reporting locally within the United Kingdom, but sometimes lack credibility globally, specially on political matters and incessant self censorship on international matters. [Middle-East and Russia/Ukraine crisis.
• CNN: Unlike the BBC, CNN is known for its partial reporting locally within the US, as well as, lack credibility and sometimes transactional globally, specially on political matters and deliberate self censorship on international matters. [Middle-East and Russia/Ukraine crisis.
• Al Jazeera: This network has more credibility and fairly balanced editorial credibility than the BBC and CNN. It has quality educational and informative magazine programmes.

3. Global Influence

Some of the most influential stations have significant global reach, even if they don’t have the highest viewership:

• Al Jazeera: While it doesn’t have the largest audience, it has substantial influence in international diplomacy, particularly in the Middle East and Africa.
• BBC: Its global reach, including BBC World News, means it has a huge audience worldwide, especially for international affairs.
• CNN: With bureaus in most profitable corners of the world, CNN has an immense global presence. Its impact is most significant in North America but reaches millions worldwide.

Summary Based on Key Metrics:

Network	Viewership	Credibility	Bias	Ownership/Government
BBC	High	High	Generally-not fully Independent	Public
CNN	Very High	Medium	Liberal-Leaning	Private
Al Jazeera	High	High	Middle Eastern Focus	State-funded

 

There is no definitive answer to which television network is the “best,” as it largely depends on what metrics you prioritise: viewership, credibility, bias, or government control.

What I did again is mainly desk survey and my 10 years painstakingly monitoring and following these television stations. In fact, I have followed the BBC for over 30 years which started 10 years earlier with the BBC Radio [World Service], the CNN for over 20 years and Al Jazeera for 10 years.

By Lucky George, Doctoral Mass Communication Researcher.