Abstract:

The Network Television Association's study on Out-of-Home viewing is the most comprehensive effort ever to measure total television viewing, including that done outside the home, for a variety of venues (including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, basic and pay cable, syndication and independent stations). The study is significant in that substantial numbers of Out-of-Home viewers were documented, who are not measured under the current Nielsen system. Research found that more than 28 million adults in the U.S. watch television away from home. Young and active demographic groups, such as working women, college students, and business travellers, all of whom are traditionally thought to be light viewers of television, do a significant portion of their viewing away from home. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, most of this viewing takes place at colleges, the workplace, and in hotels, not in restaurants and bars. As society becomes more mobile, information on television viewing outside the home becomes increasingly important.