Broadcast-Only Homes See Big Rise: Study

The number of broadcast-only TV homes has increased 41%, to 15.8 million, in the last five years, according to a Nielsen study commissioned by ION Media, a significant holder of full-power UHF broadcast spectrum. ION Media says that’s a big positive for its business, as upcoming acquisitions aim to expand its national footprint to 63 stations, and in all 20 of the largest markets in the U.S. The study also found that broadcast-only homes have a higher percentage of young viewers (median age 34.5) than total TV homes (39.6), and that 39% of broadcast-only homes have children there, compared to 34% of total TV households.