Kids Info Bits Television

Title: Television

Source: Kidbits. Jenny Tesar and Kathleen Rocheleau. Detroit: Blackbirch Press, 2005.

Document Type: Topic overview

Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2004 Blackbirch Press, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning

Full Text:

Almost every U.S. home has at least one color television set. Most have two or more sets. And these sets are busy! On average, a home has at least one TV on for more than 7 hours every day. The typical American watches about 4 hours of television daily. On average, adults watch more TV than children do.

Most viewing time is spent watching shows on the major networks, such as ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. Cable networks, such as ESPN and CNN, haven't been around as long, but they have been growing in popularity. By 2002, a total of 69% of U.S. homes with television sets subscribed to basic cable services. Of those, the top pay channel—by far—is HBO. The next big thing in television is high-definition television, or HDTV. This technology brings wide-screen, super-sharp pictures into the average home, complete with six-channel "surround sound."

Kids enjoy all kinds of programs, including comedies, cartoons, movies, and animal shows. Sports—from football games to iceskating competitions—are among the most popular shows. If a show includes young people, so much the better. Disney Channel's Lizzie McGuire became a hit because Hillary Duff as Lizzie was a teen navigating the middle school years. Joan of Arcadiadrew lots of young viewers who watch the main character struggle through high school as she tries to follow the directions God gives her.

Television use is monitored by the A.C. Nielsen Company. If a show has a Nielsen rating of 12, it was watched by 12% of all television owners. During the 2002-2003 season, America's top-rated show was CSI. It had a rating of 16.1. It was followed by Friends at 15.1 and E.R. at 13.9.

Most TV programs are paid for by companies that buy advertising time. The bigger the audience a program gets, the more companies are willing to pay to advertise their products during its commercial breaks. For example, it cost an average of $2.3 million for a 30-second ad during the 2004 Super Bowl, an event that drew as many as 90 million viewers. Why do companies pay so much? Can you think of another way to get the attention of 140 million people all at once for 30 seconds?

In addition to TVs, the great majority of U.S. homes have at least one VCR. But the popularity of DVDs has caught on. About 20 million DVD players were sold in 2003 and it's estimated that 90% of American homes will have a DVD player by 2008.