TV & VIDEO - Jan. 8, 1988

The typical American family is buying more TV sets, but spending less time watching them, according to a survey released Wednesday by the A.C. Nielsen Co. The report on television viewing for 1987 says more households than ever have more than one television--59%, up 2% from 1986--but added that householders were before their tube(s) for only 49 hours, 48 minutes on an average week during 1987, down from 50 hours, 16 minutes in 1986. The percentage of viewing during prime time dropped 2% in 1987 compared with 1986, while the percentage of viewing during the day rose by 3%, according to the Nielsen figures.