Seven in 10 U.S. Adults Say They Watch Broadcast News at Least Several Times a Week

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- While there seems to be more outlets than ever for U.S. adults to get news, a new Harris Poll shows that majorities choose to get their news most frequently from broadcast mediums. Specifically, three-quarters (77%) of adults say they watch local broadcast news, and 71 percent say they watch network broadcast or cable news several times a week or daily. On the other hand, one in five (19%) U.S. adults say they listen to satellite news programming or read a national newspaper (18%) several times a week or daily.

These are the results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 2,985 U.S. adults surveyed online between January 12 and 17, 2006 by Harris Interactive(R).

While broadcast television news appears to be the most popular medium sought, many adults also get their news several times a week or daily by going online to get news (64%), reading a local daily newspaper (63%), listening to radio news broadcasts (54%), listening to talk radio stations (37%), listening to satellite news programming (19%), and reading a national newspaper (18%).

  A key indicator of media usage is age. Specifically:

  * Matures (those 59 years of age and older) are most likely to rely on
    more traditional media outlets for information, with at least eight in
    10 Matures saying they watch local broadcast news (88%), watch network
    broadcast or cable news (88%), or read a local daily newspaper (80%)
    several times a week or daily.

  * Baby boomers (those 40 to 58 years of age) use the most varied types of
    media, with at least one in five boomers using each medium examined
    several times a week or daily. Along with Matures, Baby Boomers are most
    likely to watch both local and broadcast or cable television newscasts
    (83% and 74%, respectively), read local daily newspapers (66%), and
    listen to radio newscasts (64%) and talk radio (40%). Boomers and Gen
    Xers (those 28 to 39 years of age) are most likely to go online for news
    (68% and 70%, respectively).

  * Generation Xers are most likely to get their news several times a week
    or daily from local broadcast stations (69%) or online sources (68%).

  * Echo boomers (those 18 to 27 years of age) are the least frequent users
    of media, with only about half or less getting information several times
    a week or daily from each of the media types measured.



                                 TABLE 1
                               MEDIA USAGE
               "How often do you do any of the following?"

  Base: All Adults
                    Daily/  Daily  Several  Several  Several  Several  Never
                   Several         times a  times a  times a  times a
                    times           week     month/  month     year
                   a week                    year
                    (NET)                    (NET)
  Watch local
   broadcast news %  77      54      22        17      10         7       6
  Watch network
   broadcast or
   cable news     %  71      49      22        21      13         9       8
  Read a local
   daily newspaper%  63      41      22        28      16        12       9
  Go online to
   get news       %  64      40      24        26      15        11      11
  Listen to radio
   news broadcasts%  54      32      21        26      13        13      20
  Listen to talk
   radio stations %  37      22      15        30      12        17      34
  Read a national
   newspaper (The
   Wall Street
   Journal, USA
   Today, The
   New York Times,
   etc.)          %  18      10       8        40      14        27      41
  Listen to
   satellite
   radio
   programming    %  19      12       7        13       6         7      68

  Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.



                                 TABLE 2
                           MEDIA USAGE - BY AGE
               "How often do you do any of the following?"

Percent saying they use particular medium "daily" or "several times a week"

  Base: All Adults
                               Echo                    Baby
                              Boomers      Gen X      Boomers    Matures
                            (age 18-27) (age 28-39) (age 40-58) (age 59+)
                                 %           %           %          %
  Watch local broadcast news     52          69          83         88
  Watch network broadcast
   or cable news                 51          57          74         88
  Read a local daily newspaper   43          49          66         80
  Go online to get news          53          68          70         57
  Listen to radio news
   broadcasts                    26          49          64         58
  Listen to talk radio stations  24          35          40         41
  Read a national newspaper
   (The Wall Street Journal,
   USA Today, The New York
   Times, etc.)                  15          23          19         17
  Listen to satellite radio
   programming                   21          23          19         16



  Methodology

The Harris Poll(R) was conducted online within the United States between January 12 and 17, 2006 among 2,985 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

In theory, with probability samples of this size, one could say with 95 percent certainty that the overall results have a sampling error of plus or minus 2 percentage points of what they would be if the entire U.S. adult population had been polled with complete accuracy. Sampling error for the sub- samples of Echo Boomers (310), Generation Xers (441), Baby Boomers (1,165) and Matures (1,069) is higher and varies. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (nonresponse), question wording and question order, and weighting. It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors. This online sample was not a probability sample.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

  W26567
  Q946

  About Harris Interactive(R)

Harris Interactive Inc. (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/), based in Rochester, New York, is the 13th largest and the fastest-growing market research firm in the world, most widely known for The Harris Poll(R) and for its pioneering leadership in the online market research industry. Long recognized by its clients for delivering insights that enable confident business decisions, the Company blends the science of innovative research with the art of strategic consulting to deliver knowledge that leads to measurable and enduring value.

Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/europe) and Asia offices, its wholly- owned subsidiary Novatris in Paris, France (http://www.novatris.com/), and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies. EOE M/F/D/V

To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to participate in future online surveys, go to http://www.harrispollonline.com/.

  Press Contact:

  Jennifer Cummings
  Harris Interactive
  585-214-7720

  Harris Interactive Inc. 02/06

  The Harris Poll(R) #20, February 24, 2006

By Bill Dalbec, vice president, Public Affairs Research Practice, Harris Interactive(R)