TV viewers increasingly are watching programs on their own schedule, according to a Nielsen company media study released Monday. In the past year, time-shifting of television content grew by almost two hours, averaging 13 hours per month, the study found. Viewers averaged nearly 134 hours of live TV viewing a month in 2013, down nearly three hours from 2012. Television still remains central to media consumption, the study found, despite the increase in time-shifted viewing and streaming video through a computer or smartphone. On average, American consumers own four digital devices, the report found. The majority of U.S. households own high-definition TV sets, Internet-connected computers and smartphones, while nearly half also own digital video recorders and gaming consoles. The average consumer spends about 60 hours a week viewing content across various platforms, Nielsen found. Multitasking is common; 84 percent of smartphone and tablet owners say they use their devices as second … [Read more...] about CBS News Logo Nielsen study: Media everywhere, bathroom included
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CBS News Logo Facebook, Nielsen partner to track mobile TV viewing
When Facebook users check out the new television show lineup this fall on their smartphone or tablet, the social network will be watching too. In a partnership with Nielsen, the TV ratings measurement company, if users have used Facebook on their mobile devices, the social network will be able to gather data on the shows they watch and provide Nielsen with viewership information. Historically, Nielsen measurements were done through the installation of special meters on 25,000 television sets, recording a household's television habits. However, the increasing use of computers, smartphones and tablets to watch television shows meant that Nielsen wasn't getting a complete sense of viewing habits. Partnering with Facebook, the new campaign is meant to give Nielsen a better idea of how people are using their devices to watch shows. The arrangement, initially announced in 2013, may be getting renewed attention because of Facebook's recent admission that it had manipulated users' emotions … [Read more...] about CBS News Logo Facebook, Nielsen partner to track mobile TV viewing
CBS News Logo Nielsen: Oscars viewership down 16 percent
An estimated 36.6 million people watched the Academy Awards telecast on ABC, a drop of 16 percent from 2014. The Nielsen company said Monday that the Oscars viewership was its lowest since 2009, when "Slumdog Millionaire" was named best picture and 36.3 million people watched. Last year's Oscars, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, reached 43.7 million and had the biggest audience for the annual awards show since 2000. This year's show, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, featured a number of movies that were not big box-office winners and faced controversy over lack of ethnic diversity among its nominees. … [Read more...] about CBS News Logo Nielsen: Oscars viewership down 16 percent
Nielsen: Global consumers partial to natural, GMO-free foods
Asked what health attributes are very important when buying food, consumers in a global survey by Nielsen ranked “all-natural” and “GMO-free” at the top. Nielsen, a market researcher, polled 30,000 online respondents in 60 countries to gauge healthy eating trends, releasing the results Tuesday. Consumers were asked to rate 27 “health attributes” of food from “very important” to “not important” in their purchase decisions. The top two, each considered very important by 43 percent of global respondents, were foods with all natural ingredients and foods without ingredients containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Both categories of food are controversial, though. While natural is commonly used in food labeling, there is no actual regulatory definition, at least in the United States. Thus, critics say “natural” can be nothing more than a marketing term. Corn, soybeans, beet sugar and canola are common food … [Read more...] about Nielsen: Global consumers partial to natural, GMO-free foods
Leslie Nielsen was pretty darn good
I have one meaningless Leslie Nielsen storiy. a few years ago in a Scottsdale country club, I saw Leslie Nielsen sitting in a corner booth having supper. Hard not to notice him - tall guy with distinctive hair wearing the face of a Leslie Nielsen. I never approach celebs unless introduced, which of course happens never, and for all I knew there was some unspoken country-club rule that says you can’t go up to famous guys and say “you are hilarious, yes, but it’s your genial nature, the way the confidence highlights the mayhem you have created by remain unaware of - I’m sorry, the mayhem of which you are unaware. You know what I mean.” And then he’d smile and hope he could get back to his steak, and you’d feel stupid. But as it happened he was heading back from the gent’s just as I was strolling down the hall, and I shot him a thumbs-up, and he gave an expression that could be construed as a wink. AT least I think that’s what … [Read more...] about Leslie Nielsen was pretty darn good