October 11, 2013

Pew Research Center

American adults continue to watch TV more than any other news source at home, with the highest percentage watching local news, the Pew Research Center reported Friday.

In a study of Nielsen data covering February 2013, researchers found 71 percent of U.S. adults had watched local newscasts and 65 percent watched network news over the span of the month. And while only 38 percent of adults watched cable news, those viewers spent twice as much time doing so than viewers of local or network broadcasts.

The Nielsen data, specially prepared for the Pew study, is based on the rating service’s panel of metered homes during the important February “sweeps” period. The findings are similar to that reported in previous Pew studies showing television remains the most popular platform for Americans consuming the news.

Related: One-third of millennials watch mostly online video or no broadcast TV | Pew surveys of audience habits suggest perilous future for news| Nearly one-third of U.S. adults have abandoned a news outlet due to dissatisfaction | Pew: Half of Americans get news digitally, topping newspapers, radio

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