Britons glued to the TV 'for a whole day each week'

[mc_squared]

Britons glued to the TV 'for a whole day each week'

 

 

By Paul Revoir

Last updated at 7:48 AM on 10th February 2010

 

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Old favourite: Sharron Davies was appearing as Amazon in Gladiators in 1992 - when TV was last this popular

 

We are watching more television than at any time since 1992, research has revealed.

The average viewer tuned in for three hours and 45 minutes a day last year - the equivalent of more than a day a week.

And the figure was even higher in the first and last three months of the year, with Britons watching three hours and 56 minutes of TV each day - or 27-and-a-half hours each week.

The research, for the television advertising industry, suggests many are turning to the box for entertainment because they can no longer afford to go out during the recession.

The researchers also pointed to the huge success of recent programmes such as The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent, which have brought huge audiences back to Saturday night viewing.

The annual average figure is the highest since 1992, when viewers tuned in to their favourite shows for three hours and 49 minutes a day.

Highlights then included EastEnders, the now defunct soap opera Eldorado and comedy Men Behaving Badly.

 

 

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Mick Desmond, chairman of ITV licensee Channel Television and a former ITV advertising chief, said: 'The figures are a combination of more channels, more choice, the return of big live shows and it is the recession as well.

'People are not going out as much, and are staying in and watching more TV.' 'Staycationing' - where Britons chose to save money and holiday in the UK instead of going abroad - could be

another factor, he added. The most viewed programme was the final of Britain's Got Talent in May, which saw 18million watch dance group Diversity beat Susan Boyle.

This was followed by The X Factor final in November, which was watched by 15million. Dancing On Ice, I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! and Strictly Come Dancing over on BBC1, all pulled in more than ten million. The research, by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, also found the highest TV viewing figures were recording in the winter months.

ITV got 19 per cent of the total audience share in the last three months of 2009 - their highest since 2007.

 

BBC1 continued to achieve the highest share of the terrestrial channels, at 21 per cent.

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1249789/Britons-glued-box-day-week.html#ixzz0fAEE1EAe

[Reilly]

I'll watch any old shit on television as long as I'm also doing something else so I don't have to concentrate it, but the thought of millions of people sitting down to watch a program like I'm A Celebrity, that's very depressing.

[mc_squared]

I'll watch any old shit on television as long as I'm also doing something else so I don't have to concentrate it, but the thought of millions of people sitting down to watch a program like I'm A Celebrity, that's very depressing.

 

Not half as depressing as the thought of the millions addicted to soaps, though.:dozey: