Tube exex tout new data

Study shows that auds with systems watch more TV, ads

By MICHAEL LEARMONTH

The sky, it turns out, may not be falling on broadcast TV.

That was the message from the research heads of all six broadcast nets as they touted new data that shows homes with digital video recorders watch more TV -- and more ads -- than those without the technology.

Representatives of CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, the WB and UPN gathered at NBC headquarters Wednesday to try to refute the notion that as DVR adoption increases, rampant ad skipping will bring on the quick demise of the network TV business model.

Prognosticators have long portrayed the DVR as a disruptive force to broadcast TV, but data from Nielsen Media Research shows that DVR households actually raise viewership of top shows such as "Desperate Housewives" and "CSI."

Overall, DVR users watch 12% more television than those without the technology, raising primetime ratings an average of 4% in markets where they were measured.

Nielsen Media Research will start including DVR playbacks in its ratings reports on Dec. 26. The data will include those who watch from the original airing until seven days later.

But media-buying giant Magna Global has already declared it won't consider the data when negotiating for ad time in next year's upfront market.

Others said it's premature to put too much emphasis on the data, but left the door open to consider the value of viewers who are watching a show minutes or days after the live broadcast and may or may not be skipping through the ads.

For several years now the networks have gathered their own data to show that DVR users are more likely to record the top broadcast shows to watch them later and that many of those viewers -- who are not counted in Nielsen ratings -- also view the ads.

A study in May conducted by TiVo and Nielsen of the most played-back shows corresponded with the highest-rated shows on broadcast TV. The top five, in order, were: "Desperate Housewives," "Survivor," "CSI," "Lost" and "American Idol."

Network data released Wednesday claims 58% of DVR users pay attention to the ads as they skip through them; 53% go back to look at an ad they've mistakenly skipped.

DVR penetration stands at 8% of U.S. households, representing 11.4 million viewers. That number is expected to grow to 39%, or 45.9 million viewers, by 2010.