Americans Tune In 7 Hours a Day, Nielsen Says

Americans are watching an average of almost seven hours of television a day, according to the Nielsen Report on Television 1989 released today.

Women tune in more than men, situation comedies are the favorite viewing material and Sunday remains the most watched night of the week.

The average number of hours viewed per day in the 1987-88 television season was six hours and 55 minutes, Nielsen reported, compared to seven hours and five minutes the previous year.

Nielsen also reported:

*There are 90.4 million U.S. households that own at least one television set, double the number of households owning sets in 1960. Of these, 97% own color sets and 63% own two or more sets.

*The average TV household can receive 27.7 channels.

*Households that viewed television most were those with three or more people, those that subscribe to pay cable and those with non-adults.

* After sitcoms, the most-watched programs were feature films, second, and general drama, third. Women made up the largest segment of the viewing audience in prime time as well as for network news.

* The drop in viewer interest in presidential nominating conventions and Election Night coverage declined again in 1988, when combined viewing time was five hours and 48 minutes, compared to 14 hours and 12 minutes in 1976.