What Do TV Viewing Habits Say About Us?

Sept. 17 -- Many people predicted that after Sept. 11, Americans would yearn for the wholesome television programming of decades past, but TV ratings show that desires for outrageous reality shows and not-so-clean humor continues unabated.

"All of the pundits who said this would happen were wrong," Susan Whiting, president of the Nielsen Media Research Company told Good Morning America. "Shows like The Osbournes became wildly popular, along with shows like Fear Factor."

The Osbournes, the hit reality show that chronicles the profanity-soaked conversations and antics of rock star Ozzy Osbourne and his family, and Fear Factor, a reality program featuring outrageous stunts, present "escapist programming," and there's no indication that its popularity is on the decline, Whiting said.

Network Struggles Continue

Nielsen has been tracking viewing habits for more than 50 years. Now, at the beginning of another television season, the majority of shows launched in the next few weeks will struggle to gain acceptance over the airwaves, and few will become bona fide hits.

With the advent of cable television, the ratings of shows on network television have been declining in the past 20 years. Though the top shows on each network used to draw monster ratings, that is no longer the case.

The top TV program of all time, the final episode of M*A*S*H on Feb. 28, 1983, generated a 60.2 rating, with three out of four TV households in America tuning in. By contrast, the finale of Seinfeld in May 1998, drew a 22 rating, or one out of five households.

"This shows the tremendous watering down of network ratings caused by cable TV," Whiting said. The monster ratings will probably never return to what they were in pre-cable days, she said.

‘Fractured’ TV Watching

The way people watch television has changed, too.

"People just don't watch TV together in the home anymore," Whiting said. "Audiences have become "fractured" within the home. Families are breaking off and watching shows individually, with the average home now having about three different sets."