Survey: 15% of American Homes Rely on Over-the-Air TV

According to a new Knowledge Networks survey, the number of Americans now relying exclusively on over-the-air TV is 46 million, up from 42 million a year ago.

Knowledge's just-released 2011 Ownership Survey and Trend Report found that 15% of homes rely solely on over-the-air signals. Those over-the-air homes tend to skew toward lower income and minority viewers, according to the study, with 23% of homes making under $30,000 per year relying only on over-the air signals. The survey found that 23% of Hispanic homes are broadcast-only. Homes headed by younger adults are also more likely to access TV programming exclusively through broadcast signals. Twenty percent of homes with a head of household age 18-34 are broadcast only, compared with 15% of homes in which the head of household is 35-54, or 13% of homes in which the head of household is 55 years of age or older. The survey found a small but notable number of homes that have canceled pay TV service at their current home. According to the study, 4% of TV households, which translates to 5 million TV households, eliminated pay TV service in their current home at some point in the past and now rely only on over-the-air reception. Of these homes, most report overall cost-cutting (71%) or not enough value for cost (30%) as the reason for doing so (respondents could give more than one reason).