New Poll Shows British and Americans Use Media Alike

Survey results, based on the broader NOP World Roper Worldwide Survey, lay bare the facts: Americans and the British – at least in media consumption – are virtually identical. Compared to the average of the 30 surveyed countries, Americans and Brits watch more TV (19 and 18 hours per week, respectively), listen to radio more (10.5 hours and 10.2 hours), read less (5.7 hours and 5.3 hours) and use computers and the internet less outside the workplace (8.8 hours for both) than the rest of the world. The global average for TV time is 16.6 hours, radio 8 hours, reading 6.5 hours and computers and internet for non-work purposes 8.9 hours.

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Hungarians and Poles are similar, too; spending more time than average outside of work with the internet and computers (10.9 hours a week in Hungary, 10.6 hours in Poland), more time with radio (12.1 hours and 12.5, respectively), less time with television (15.1 hours and 15.9 hours) and at or slightly above the average time spent reading (6.8 hours and 6.5 hours.)

Germans and Italians spend their time with media almost the same, but Germans listen to radio far more than Italians (11.5 hours in Germany and 7.2 hours per week in Italy). In all other media consumption Germans and Italians fall below the global average. What are they doing in Italy with all that time? Enquiring minds want to know!

Swedes watch the least TV in Europe (12.3 hours) and the French are second only to the Brits (this is not an attempt to cause a diplomatic crisis) in most TV time with 17.3 hours. Czechs listen to radio most (13.5 hours) among the European countries surveyed. Russians listen least, just 6.6 hours.

Spanish and Hungarians spend the most non-work time with computers and the internet, 11.5 hours 10.9 hours and per week, respectively. Italians and Germans spend the least.

“Increasingly demanding viewers are looking for absolute transparency and immediate dénouement,” says the NOTA – New On The Air - International TV Trends survey of nine countries. And that, so they say, explains reality TV – a mix of fiction, fact and entertainment. Even though audiences for reality TV shows dropped in the last year, the number of new productions increased over last year.

This added interest in real life – or its perception – pushed documentary production ahead of other TV formats. The survey noted that Life Before Birth (Channel 4 – UK) grabbed at 17% market share.

Dramatic series, nearly killed off a few years ago by reality TV, have returned. The highly realistic new CBS show Numb3rs in the US is the highest rated new series.

Celebrities, however, are as popular as ever. And, so the report says, it's a "safe bet." The report also sees a trend toward the "cult of personality," with shows centered on "coaches" as in talent shows.

The NOTA survey reports and analyzes the new television shows launched in Australia, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, The UK and the US twice a year. The most recent report, released June 14th, shows 1739 new shows released between September 1st 2004 and April 30th 2005, an increase of 1.2% over the previous season.

New Poll Shows British and Americans Use Media Alike

NOP World released last week its Culture Score Index of media consumption in 30 countries. NOTA survey shows TV viewers are looking for “immediate dénouement.”