The Cable Game is an Away Game

Paul Thomasch, a savvy media-business writer for Reuters, uncovers an interesting study from Arbitron. It seems that an
increasing number of Americans are watching TV away from home.

These data are interesting, coming at a time when there's been concern that TV audiences were falling off, due to competition from the Internet, and everything else. And of course, it is true that Net consumption is rising rapidly. But it seems to be the case, instead, that more Americans are consuming more media than ever.

Indeed, there's something about television that makes it the sort of media experience that people are more likely to consume when they are out and around--TV is more sociable than the Net.

So it only makes sense that friends would visit each other, or that people would gather in bars--and turn the TV.

Moreover, it was interesting that the demographics of those who watch TV tilt so young: As Thomasch put it, "By age group, 64 percent of 12-17 year olds watched TV away from home at least once per week; 49 percent of 18-24 year olds watched away from home; and about 23 percent of those aged 55 and older watched away from home."

Now those young 'uns aren't necessarily watching cable news, but they could be if something big happens, and they will be, simply because they, too, will get older and thus more interested in events.

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