Nielsen says TV viewing is up overall, but not during Fourth of July week

By: David Bauder, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK - You wouldn't necessarily know it from last week, but Nielsen Media Research says TV viewership is on the rise. The company said Tuesday that the average American watched 127 1/4 hours of television in May, or the equivalent of more than five full days. That's up from 121 hours and 48 minutes in May 2007. The typical person also spent 26 1/2 hours using the Internet in May, up from 24 hours, 16 minutes the year before, Nielsen said. So how come TV ratings for individual networks and shows keep going down? That's because of all the choices; nearly two-thirds of American homes now have digital cable or satellite with an average of 160 channels to choose from. For the broadcast networks, Nielsen's report Tuesday was a welcome diversion. The week of the Fourth of July is... [read full story]