Nielsen Study Shows Viewer Decline in May Sweeps

NIELSEN STUDY SHOWS VIEWER DECLINE IN MAY SWEEPS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
According to a Nielsen study, the number of homes tuning in to TV during the May sweep was down 3.5% from May 2006, including a more than 5% drop in top market New York. The study, sent to Nielsen clients on Friday, concluded that, while use of digital-video recorders (DVR) may have contributed to the decline, no one factor could be fingered. Nielsen's survey of its metered-market households found that the number of households with DVRs increased from 7% in May 2006 to 17% in May 2007—a contributing factor to the viewership decline but apparently not the main reason for the drop. When DVR usage was added to the tune-in figure, Nielsen said, the drop was 2.4%, and households without the digital recorders showed similar rates of decline to those with them.
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