Nearly four million TV viewers tuned in to debate

TORONTO - Nearly four million TV viewers tuned in to Tuesday night's English-language leaders' debate.

According to BBM Canada, the total audience for the broadcast consortium that aired the debate across the country was 3.85 million.

CTV says that's up 26 per cent compared to viewership numbers for the English leaders' debate in 2008.

However, the television ratings system has since changed, making any new numbers hard to compare.

Individually, CTV says it had 1.37 million viewers as it aired the debate from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET, while CBC had 1.14 million viewers and Global had 597,000.

CTV says its average ratings for that same time block in recent weeks have been 1.2 million total viewers.

The broadcasting consortium is made up of Canada's largest TV networks: CBC/Radio-Canada, CTV, Global and TVA.

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  Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff speaks to media following the English language federal election debate in Ottawa Ont., on Tuesday, April 12, 2011. (Fred Chartrand / THE CANADIAN PRESS)