Stable TV viewing figures, increase in reading newspapers online

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Fewer people read printed newspapers and more people read online versions of newspapers on an average day in 2016 than the year before, according to the new figures from Norwegian media barometer. The number of persons watching TV remains stable. We spend more time on the Internet, and use of social media is still increasing.

There was a decrease in reading printed newspapers on an average day among persons aged 9-79 from 2015 to 2016. In 2016, 39 per cent of the population read one or more printed newspapers on an average day, compared to 42 per cent one year before. This trend has been ongoing for a long time. In 1997, the percentage was 84. Reading online versions of newspapers has increased (see graph 1). The number of readers was 56 per cent on an average day in 2016, compared to 51 per cent in 2015. This means that the overall number of newspaper readers has been rather stable, with 73 per cent in 2016 and 72 per cent in 2015. 

Figure 1. Use of different mass media an average day, by media type and year. Share of population (9-79 years)

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Printed newspapers 84 81 81 77 78 77 77 75 74 74 72 68 65 64 63 55 51 49 42 39
Newspapers on the net 12 17 19 27 31 34 35 40 43 48 49 52 54 51 56
Ordinary TV 84 83 84 82 85 85 84 83 85 83 82 80 80 82 81 76 73 72 63 63
Net TV 0 1 1 1 1 2 3 11 12
Internet total 7 10 18 27 35 35 42 44 55 60 66 71 73 77 80 80 85 88 87 89
Paper books 17 18 19 20 22 23 23 23 25 24 23 23 27 24 27 25 25 25 23 25
E-books 1 2 1 2 2 2 2

67 per cent watching TV

The portion watching TV transmissions on an average day, including transmission in the Internet, has been fairly stable for many years, at more than 80 per cent. In recent years, however, there has been a decline. This does not apply for the last year. Sixty-seven per cent watched TV per day in 2016, the same as in 2015. Watching TV via the Internet, i.e. watching TV programmes that are broadcast via the Internet at the same time as the ordinary TV transmission, is not yet a rival to traditional TV watching. While 63 per cent watched TV programmes on ordinary TV, 12 per cent watched the programmes via the Internet. While average TV viewing per day was 107 minutes in 2015, the corresponding figure for 2016 was 112 minutes. 

More time spent on the Internet

The proportion spending time on the Internet during a typical day has increased in recent years.  There has also been an increase in the last year, with 87 per cent in 2015 and 89 per cent in 2016. The time we spend on the Internet per day has grown somewhat, from 127 minutes in 2015 to 140 minutes in 2016. Never before has the population spent so much time on the Internet on an average day. The increase applies to both men and women, and for everyone above the age of 15. The 16-24-year-olds are the most eager users, with 4 hours and 5 minutes per day. 

Among those who used the Internet during a typical day, 70 per cent spent time on Facebook and 44 per cent spent time on other social media in 2015. The use of social media has increased considerably in the last year. Forty-four per cent of Internet users spent time on bank services on a typical day and 73 per cent read the news. 

Use of streamed audio files and video media is increasing

Seventy per cent of those who listened to audio media (excluding radio) on an average day in 2016 listened to streamed files from the Internet. Five years earlier, the figure was 35 per cent. The proportion that uses CD players, on the other hand, is in decline. The proportion who listened to audio media in total remained almost at the same level as the year before, and was 37 per cent in 2016. 

The proportion spending time on video/film media on a typical day had previously seen little change. Since 2012, when paid streaming services via the Internet, such as Netflix, were included in the survey, the number of persons watching video/film media has grown. In 2015, the proportion was 21 per cent, and in 2016 was 26 per cent. As many as 70 per cent of these users were streaming paid video files. DVD/Blu-ray was used by 6 per cent and hard disc players were used by 11 per cent. 

59 per cent listen to the radio

The number of radio listeners during a typical day has remained the same in the last year, with 59 per cent both in 2015 and 2016. While 55 per cent listened to ordinary radio, 11 per cent listened to programmes online that were broadcast simultaneously. Twenty-five per cent of the population listened to a DAB radio during the day in 2016, about the same as the year before.

Figure 2. Percentage with access to different electronic equipment in the household

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Internet 36 52 60 63 64 66 74 79 83 85 91 93 92 95 96 96 96 97
DVD-/bluray player 26 43 61 75 80 84 87 86 87 83 79 79 75 73 70
Harddisc recorder 24 26 29 38 41 43 45 49 50 52
DAB radio 18 18 21 22 28 32 44 53 57
Tablet 37 61 70 75 74
Smartphone 57 73 80 85 89
E-book 11 19 17 16 16

53 per cent have a DAB radio

Fifty-two per cent had access to a hard disc recorder at home in 2016, compared to 50 per cent the year before (see graph 2). Fifty-seven per cent had a DAB radio in 2016, an increase from 53 per cent in 2015. Forty-four per cent had one or more newspaper subscriptions in the household in 2016, compared to 50 per cent in 2015. Fifteen per cent had a paid subscription for an online newspaper in 2016, compared to 12 per cent the year before. 

2 per cent read e-books daily

The percentage that read printed books on an average day was 25, compared to 23 per cent the year before. Only 2 per cent read electronic books during a typical day. The percentage reading magazines and comic books on an average day has changed little from 2015 to 2016. This also applies to scientific/trade journals. The percentage using these media has declined gradually in recent years. Reading of magazines and comic books is less prevalent than for scientific/trade journals. The percentage of magazine readers does not change considerably when we include online reading.

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