Nielsen Reports Television Tuning Remains at Record Levels

Nielsen Reports Television Tuning Remains at Record Levels

Digital Video Recorders Grow in Popularity

NEW YORK, Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The Nielsen Company reported today that television tuning during the 2006-2007 television year (September 18, 2006 to September 23, 2007) remained at the record levels set the previous year. Viewing nearly reached the record levels of a year ago, and the number of homes with Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) more than doubled.

According to Nielsen:

-- The total average time a household had a TV set tuned during the
2006-2007 television year was 8 hours and 14 minutes per day, the same
amount of time as during the 2005-2006 season (September 19, 2005 to
September 17, 2006) and a record high. (See Table 1.)

-- The average amount of television watched by individual viewers during
the 2006-07 television year dipped by 1 minute per day to 4 hours and
34 minutes.

-- The number of households with Digital Video Recorders has grown
steadily over the past several years, and as of today stands at 20.5%
of Nielsen's National People Meter sample. This is up from 17.2% in
May 2007. When Nielsen began including households with DVRs in its
samples in January 2006, DVR penetration was estimated to be
approximately 8% of households.

"Television clearly remains a very important part of daily life in the United States," noted Patricia McDonough, Senior Vice President of Planning Policy & Analysis at Nielsen Media Research. "There are numerous screens competing for time and attention as well as consumer devices providing new ways for viewers to watch their favorite shows. Regardless, these trends demonstrate that tuning to traditional television remains strong."

Season Milestones

During the 2006-2007 television year, which ended on September 23, 2007, Nielsen achieved a number of milestones that enabled it to provide even more precise information about television viewing. These milestones, which reflect Nielsen's commitment to continuous improvement in television measurement, include:

-- The 2006-2007 television year was the first full year in which
measurement of digital video recording was included in Nielsen's
estimates.

-- Nielsen's "Extended Home" initiative, which went into effect on
January 29, 2007, allowed students in sample households to have their
viewing at their campus housing including in the Nielsen ratings for the
first time, thus providing a more complete count of viewing among these
young adults.

-- On May 31, 2007, Nielsen began providing a standardized measure of
audiences for the average commercial minute within programs, thus
enabling all users of the ratings data to evaluate the way advertising
is bought, sold and analyzed.

Table 1 - Total Day Tuning & Viewing -- A 10-Year
Trend

HOUSEHOLD PERSONS 2+
TUNING VIEWING
Broadcast Average Hours: Average Hours:
Year Minutes Minutes
(Sept-Sept) Total Day Total Day

2006 - 2007 8:14*+ 4:34*+
2005 - 2006 8:14+ 4:35+
2004 - 2005 8:11 4:32
2003 - 2004 8:01 4:25
2002 - 2003 7.55 4.25
2001 - 2002 7.42 4.18
2000 - 2001 7.39 4.15
1999 - 2000 7.31 4.06
1998 - 1999 7.24 4.00
1997 - 1998 7.15 3.58
1996 - 1997 7.12 3.56

*Through 9/23/07 Live+7

Table 2 - Primetime Tuning & Viewing Levels -- a 10 Year Trend

HOUSEHOLD PERSONS 2+
TUNING VIEWING
Broadcast Average Hours: Average Hours:
Year Minutes Minutes
(Sept-Sept) Primetime Primetime
2006 - 2007 1:52*+ 1:10*+
2005 - 2006 1:54+ 1:11+
2004 - 2005 1:53 1:11
2003 - 2004 1:52 1:10
2002 - 2003 1:52 1:10
2001 - 2002 1:51 1:10
2000 - 2001 1:52 1:10
1999 - 2000 1:51 1:09
1998 - 1999 1:50 1:08
1997 - 1998 1:49 1:08

*Through 9/23/07 Live+7

About The Nielsen Company

The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions and recognized brands in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information (Nielsen Media Research), online intelligence (Nielsen Online), mobile media (Nielsen Mobile), trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA. For more information, please visit, http://www.nielsen.com/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: The Nielsen Company

CONTACT: Gary Holmes of The Nielsen Company, +1-646-654-8975

Web site:

http://www.nielsen.com/

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