Daily Research News Online no. 3040 - Reports of TV's Death Exaggerated

Reports of TV's Death Exaggerated

April 6 2004

Those who think the days of traditional TV programming are numbered may be surprised by results of a US benchmarking study by CTAM (Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing) and research partner Lieberman Research Worldwide. Most respondents were still happily watching scheduled TV programs at appointed times.

The study, Tracking the Evolving Use of Television and Its Content, is designed to answer some of the most critical questions facing the cable business in delivering both new media and traditional content. It will track and predict changes in behavior over the next few years. The first wave, crucial in setting a baseline for future comparison, asked consumers about their most immediate, 'last viewing' experiences.

Among the headlines: 'Advanced technologies are making the early-adopters happy - but most consumers still like plain old TV'. Nearly three-fifths of consumers (57%) report having watched scheduled TV programs last night. Going online is the second most frequent activity (22%) and watching pre-recorded DVDs and videos is next (c.10% each).

Viewers still have favorites - and sit down to watch them at 'appointed' times. Nearly two thirds (64%) said they knew what program they were going to watch when they turned on the TV, and nearly half of all viewing (48%) is of a program that viewers regularly make an effort to watch.

Viewers also have their favorite channels which they turn to most often, although they are making the most of new choices: 50% say they have watched a new television channel in the past year and two thirds of these have adopted two or more new channels.

Interactive programming guides (IPG) seem to be working well in helping to navigate the vista of choice - nearly half (46%) of viewers in digital cable and satellite homes think the IPG 'makes it easy to find something to watch'. Adults 18-34, particularly women, are very positive about the IPG experience.

'Though we are starting to see changes in the way people are deciding what to watch on television, it's surprising how much 'appointment viewing' to specific programs continues to dominate TV consumption,' said Michael Pardee, Vice President, Research, Scripps Networks and Chairman of the CTAM Research Subcommittee, which guided the study.

Some advanced technologies seem to be poised for mainstream take-off. Forty-five percent say they are very or somewhat familiar with high-definition television (HDTV). Two in ten viewers say they'd like to buy an HD television set, and the majority of those expect to get their HDTV reception from cable (56%) vs. satellite TV (25%), or local stations (9%).

Only 20% of satellite subscribers subscribe to high-speed Internet services, whereas in digital cable households the figure is 44%, but there is relatively high interest in getting the service (30% of all respondents and higher among digital cable and satellite users.

Men are more likely to be interested in HDTV (accounting for 60% of likely buyers) and DVR (57%), but women more likely to be in the queue for high-speed Internet access (57%). Those looking for On Demand services are split 50/50.

The study was designed by the CTAM Research Committee, whose members include senior research executives from top cable companies and program networks, and conducted by Lieberman Research Worldwide. Six focus groups in October 2003 were followed by a total of 1,201, 25-minute telephone interviews with adults 18+ living in cable and/or satellite households, from mid-November to early December.

The release and charts are also available in the News Room at www.ctam.com . Entertainment research specialist Lieberman Research Worldwide is based in Los Angeles and is online at www.lrwonline.com