The television audience in China climbed to 1.205 billion people in 2007, an increase of 90 million people since 2002, and double the size it was in 1987, a survey released in Beijing has revealed.

According to a survey initiated by the China Central Television Station and conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics, about 99.89 percent of households in China own televisions.

Television has become the most popular medium among average Chinese citizens, according to the survey, released last week. Each household has access to an average of 32.4 channels, twice that in 2002, and satellite channels and cable TV have been introduced to average households.

A total of 11,822 people above age 13 and 2,005 children between ages four and 12 were polled. The survey covered 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, excluding the Macao and Hong Kong Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan.

Introduced in 1987, the survey is conducted every five years, BBC News reported.