Radio still strong, but computers pull ahead

One of the key findings of a groundbreaking study from the Council for Research Excellence (CRE), with funding by The Nielsen Company, is that the average consumer now spends more minutes per day using a computer than listening to radio. Don’t get too worried – radio is still a heavily used medium.

Radio wasn’t a main focus of the study, as shown by its name: Video Consumer Mapping Study. But as trained observers recorded consumer use of various video devices, use of radio, iPods and such was also recorded. Yes, the trained observers were actually sent out to follow the hundreds of participants around and record all of their media usage.

Some findings you may find interesting:

·       Even in major metropolitan areas where commute times can be long and drive-time radio remains popular, computer use has replaced radio as the No. 2 media activity. Radio is now No. 3 and print media fourth.

·       Contrary to some recent popular media coverage suggesting that more Americans are rediscovering "free TV" via the Internet, computer video tends to be quite small with an average time of just two minutes (a little more than 0.5 percent) a day.

·       Despite the proliferation of computers, video-capable mobile phones and similar devices, TV in the home still commands the greatest amount of viewing, even among those ages 18-24. Thus, in the eyes of the researchers, this appears to dispute a common belief that Internet video and mobile phone video exposure among that group (and the next one up, age 25-34) were significant in 2008.

·       TV users were exposed to, on average, 72 minutes per day of TV ads and promos — again dispelling a commonly held belief that modern consumers are channel-hopping or otherwise avoiding most of the advertising in the programming they view.

·       Early DVR owners spent much more time with DVR playback than newer DVR owners. At the same time, DVR playback was even more likely than live TV to be the sole medium.

·       "Environmental" exposure outside the home, while still relatively small at just 2.8 percent of total video consumption today, could nearly double during the next few years. Currently, measurement of these screens is only just beginning with programs such as Nielsen On-Location Media and Nielsen Online, though they may be given more importance soon given their growing and strategic advertising role.
 
Want more?

Click here to read the story written for our TVBR side.

Click here to see much more on the CRE website.

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