June 2013
From a Survey Made on the 60th Anniversary of TV Broadcasting
Akihiro Hirata / Ayako Shigyo
This article reports the current picture of TV viewers based on a “Survey Made on the 60th Anniversary of TV Broadcasting” that was conducted in November 2012.
With the spread of Internet services and the dissemination of digital recorders, “customized viewing,” in which viewers watch television just as they like, is permeating. Of the total respondents, 40% routinely (more than one day per week) watch TV programs by timeshifting, indicating that “time efficiency,” or watching television at their convenience, is regarded important. Those who routinely view TV programs on the Internet via video distribution services account for 12%, which shows the convenience of the “search” function that allow the users to easily find TV programs they want to watch is highly valued. The proportion of “customizing viewers,” who routinely watch TV programs either by timeshifting or via the Internet, has reached 45% of all the public.
In regards to posting and/or reading opinions on TV programs on SNS sites (“TV-SNS”), 40% of those aged between 16 and 29 do it routinely, with many of them enjoying the communication by chatting about TV programs itself. It is also revealed that the long downward trend of family viewing, or those who watch television with other family members, hit the bottom, with women in their 30s and 40s particularly prioritizing the preference of the family members. “TV-SNS” and family viewing have a common characteristics of “connected viewing” in which television is used as a tool to enjoy communicating with friends or family.
The survey results hint that viewers of today tactfully use “customized viewing” and “connected viewing” for different purposes to embrace “viewing in their own way” by tailoring TV viewing to their lifestyles.