It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
That well-trodden phrase pretty much sums up the year that was 2009, at least for New Zealand television broadcasters.
Audience levels were up, up, up. Advertising revenue was — well, let’s not even go there.
The NZ Television Broadcasters Council finally had some good news to share last week:
- The average viewer watched 3 hours 17 minutes of TV daily in 2009, an increase of 9 minutes per day or 4.8% over 2008.
- Not only that, but more people were watching in total. On a daily basis, 2.94 million people watched television last year, up almost 63,000 or 2.2% over 2008.
We do need to put these numbers in a little bit of context: television viewing levels do rise in recessionary times, as typically do movie attendances. We may not be able to afford that fancy new car or indulge in that Manolo Blahnik footwear obsession, but by golly we can still manage some small indulgences.
So bravo! television broadcasters for benefiting from tough times. But do remain suitably modest about the achievement, okay?
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