A new study finds that for the first time since 1997, consumers spent less time with media than they did in the previous year.
According to data from Veronis Suhler Stevenson, consumers spent 3,530 hours with media during 2006, down 0.5 percent from the prior year.
Veronis chalked up the decline to a migration of consumers to digital alternatives for news, information and entertainment, which require less time than traditional media.
While consumers spend less time with media, media usage at work grew 3.2 percent to 260 hours per user, according to the first ever analysis of business and government media usage.
Despite the decline, total communications spending grew 6.8 percent to $885.2 billion in 2006, driven by strong gains in alternative advertising and marketing and institutional spending, Veronis said.
Veronis forecasts that communication spending will grow 6.4 percent in 2007, exceed $1 trillion in 2008 and have a compounded annual growth rate of 6.7 percent from 2006 to 2001.
(Editor: Robbins)
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Comments (3)
My initial reaction is only that this summary is very, very vague...
The average person has been gradually spending less time with newspaper and even radio for years. This isn't new.
This study is only "news" if people are spending less time watching TV.
These "executive summaries" of the "new study of the week" can create "buzz headlines"...but until I see something credible that not only suggests but can prove that people are spending less time with television, I can't really get too worked up over this.
Posted by Tim Kirsch | August 7, 2007 2:06 PM
I have to agree with Tim. Much ado about nothing new. What is media? If there is less time spent on it what is this "it". Either the reporting or the study was lazy.
Posted by Brian Kelley | August 7, 2007 11:28 PM
If every network did start with breaking NEWS more people would watch,I know last week all the networks did it three out of five day's you don't know if the same old SOS or if i going to be a real breaking story or not if they are going to do it at least wait to Sweeps week when it matters the most!!
Posted by Dave L | August 8, 2007 9:31 AM