One in three of us not watching TV

A decade ago, a 42-inch television set was a luxury few could afford. Now, large screens abound, slimmer and lighter than ever before. But while TV screens may be getting bigger, their audiences seemingly are not. Statistics released last week by the Broadcast Authority revealed a 13 per cent drop in the number of TV viewers between July and September compared with the previous three-month period. Audience assessment report figures show that television viewership is also down by 13 per cent compared with the same period last year – leading to the smallest local TV audience since 2007. That year, one in every four people said they did not watch TV. Fast-forward to September 2012, and that figure has now leapt to one in every three. However, interest in television typically flags in the summer months, with local channels airing winter repeats and many viewers are less likely to spend time in front of their TVs. And according to Public Broadcasting Services CEO Anton Attard, the latest viewing figures are perplexing. “I find the statistics somewhat strange, because audiences had been steadily growing before that. The figure strikes me as a bit of an anomaly,” Mr Attard said. TVM did...