More Young Adults Tuning Into Local Summer Television

More Young Adults Tuning Into Local Summer Television

Key Demographic Adults Age 18-34 Increase in Local People Meter Markets

NEW YORK, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Nielsen Media Research today reported that considerably more Adults 18-34 are watching local television during the 2005 summer season than had previously been reported. The information is available for the first time in major markets where Nielsen has introduced Local People Meter (LPM) service since last year, and shows similar trends to what Nielsen recently reported seeing among teens in those same markets. Earlier estimates in the major television markets were based on a combination of Set Meter and Diary samples, which were available only during the sweep month of July.

Nielsen's People Meter has the ability to electronically and continually report all viewing activity - no matter how brief - and enables it to more accurately track what audiences actually watch on television. Consequently, LPM data for the summer months reveals that the number of viewers 18-34 in the six major television markets has increased in almost all time periods.

[For the purposes of this study, direct comparisons are based on July 2005 vs July 2004 since comparative adult viewing was only available for the July 2004 sweep month. However, an analysis of June and August viewing levels-to- date confirm these overall upward trends]

Key Demographic Data

Among important demographic information from the LPM markets reported by Nielsen:

-- The time periods that showed the greatest percent increase across all LPM markets include Early Morning (M-F 5am-7am), Overnight (M-F 1am- 5am) and Saturday (7am-5pm). -- The percent increase in viewing levels in Daytime (9am-4pm) was substantially higher for Men 18-34 than for Women of the same age. -- Television viewing for Adults 18-34 on the Weekend was up across the board in every LPM market. -- Although all LPM markets saw growth in most time periods, Washington, DC experienced the greatest upsurge. -- Washington, DC, San Francisco and Philadelphia showed an increase among viewers 18-34 in Primetime in the LPM markets. -- Every LPM market reported higher numbers for Adults 18-34 in Total Day (M-Su 5am-5am) compared to Set Meter/Diary data for July of last year. (See Table 1)

Highlights of Individual Markets

By markets, highlights of LPM data for 18-34 year olds included the following:

-- Washington, DC - This city had the distinction of being the only LPM market that showed year-to-year increases in the number of viewers 18- 34 for every single hour and daypart. During Daytime (M-F 9am-4pm), the percent increase in Washington, DC was more than twice that of the next nearest market, San Francisco. -- Philadelphia - Among all viewers 18-34, the increase in Early Morning (M-F 5am-7am) was greatest in Philadelphia, with the sharpest increase being driven by the younger 18-24 year old viewers. LPMs also showed more than twice as many Men and Women 18-34 watching TV during this time period in July '05 than the Set Meter/Diary sample reported in July'04. -- San Francisco - The daypart with the largest increase in the number of adults 18-34 in San Francisco was Late Fringe (M-Su 11pm-1am), which rose from 11.0% reported by Set Meter/Diaries in July 2004, to 20.9% under LPMs in July 2005 - a 90% year-to-year increase. -- New York - During Early Morning (M-F 5am-7am) - a time period dominated by newscasts - LPMs showed that more than twice as many Men 18-34 watched television in July of this year than the Set Meter/Diary sample showed in July 2004. Moreover, LPMs show that Men 18-34 tuned in to television 73% more during the Afternoon time period (M-F 12pm- 4pm), which is traditionally not thought of as a daypart attractive to men. -- Los Angeles - The number of Males 18-34 showed a sharper increase than the number of Women in Los Angeles during most time periods. However, growth among Women in Early Morning (M-F 5am-7am) was more than double (57% vs 21%) than among Men. -- Chicago - Viewing levels among all Adults 18-34 increased year-to-year by 6.5 points (9.2 vs. 15.7), which is 71% higher in the M-F 12 midnight to 1am time period. The M-F noon to 3pm daypart showed impressive growth among Men 18-34 (+62%) and Women 18-34 (+18%), while Women 18-34 rose 48% on Sundays 1pm to 6pm.

Nielsen introduced the first Local People Meters in 2002 in Boston. In 2004, it launched LPM service in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco; and added Washington, DC and Philadelphia this past June.

Local People Meters enable Nielsen to provide clients in these markets with demographic information for shows that aired in June, something that was not possible in the past because June is not a "sweeps" or survey month (the four to seven times a year when local demographic information is recorded in paper diaries). Moreover, Nielsen can now supply overnight demographic data on shows that appeared during the July survey period. Prior to the implementation of Local People Meters this data would not have been available until mid-August.

About Nielsen Media Research

Nielsen Media Research is the world's leading provider of television audience measurement and advertising information services. Nielsen Media Research is part of VNU Media Measurement & Information, a global leader in information services for the media and entertainment industries. For more information, please visit the VNU website at http://www.vnu.com/.

TABLE 1

Percent Change in Adults 18-34 Monday-Sunday 5am-5am (24 hour avg.) July 2005 LPM vs. July 2004 Set Meter/Diary

LPM Market % Change Chicago +21% Los Angeles +10% New York +24% Philadelphia +56% San Francisco +55% Washington, DC +83%

Source: Nielsen Media Research

CONTACT: Matt Tatham of Nielsen Media Research, +1-646-654-8362

Web site: http://www.vnu.com/ http://www.nielsenmedia.com/

------- Profile: Ent