Study: Broadcast TV Still Consumers' No. 1 Choice

Despite mass migration to new platforms, American consumers still spend more time with broadcast TV than all other ad-supported media combined, according to a study released Wednesday.

The “Media Comparisons 2016” study, conducted by the research firm GfK in collaboration with the TVB, also found viewers trust local TV news over any other source. Other findings include:

  • Adults 18 and older spend nearly five hours a day with television, compared with the 62 minutes spent with radio, 56 minutes spent with email and 50 minutes spent with social media.
  • Local broadcast news serves as the primary TV news source for 22% of adults. About 14% rely on network news, and 13% on cable news networks.
  • TV stations’ websites and apps are the primary news sources for 10% of adults. Roughly 8% rely on other news sites and 7% on social media.
  • When it comes to digital news outlets, 68% of adults consider local TV news sites and apps their most trusted sources. About 48% favor other internet news sites, and 31% believe social media is most trustworthy.

“While media proliferation continues, results from the ‘Media Comparisons’ study again confirm television’s dominant position as a reliable, proven marketing solution that presents accountable, measurable advantages for brand managers, advertisers and political campaigns seeking to reach target audiences and influence decisions,” said TVB president and CEO Steve Lanzano.

TVB will present comprehensive key insights at its Forward 2016 conference on Sept. 29 in New York. At that time, a white paper will be posted on tvb.org.