Pope Francis proves a ratings winner

Pope Francis is proving a ratings winner for Italian broadcasters covering papal events.

According to the state broadcaster, RAI 1, the Popeís noon Angelus alone has seen numbers jump by 250,000. Figures released show that numbers tuning in for the Angelus prayers have gone from 1.56 million in 2012 to 2.27 in 2013.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that the Italian news channel SkyTG24 is devoting more airtime to the Popeís Sunday Angelus as viewers have not been changing channel throughout the broadcast.