• by Wayne Friedman , April 2, 2013

Educationally savvy TV users and TV go together -- but not in the way TV networks and marketers might like.

Higher education and income levels correspond with less TV usage, particularly at the early and late parts of the day. For example, those with four years of college or more watch an average of an hour and 14 minutes of prime time, versus those with just a high school education, who watch two hours and eight minutes a day, per Nielsen.

Those with just a high-school education watch an average of one hour and 16 minutes of morning TV versus 48 minutes for those with four years or more of college. Those with just a high-school education watch two hours of daytime programming versus an hour and seven minutes for those with four years or more of college.

Income levels in other daytimes correspond in similar ways -- 54 minutes in the morning for those making $100,000; an hour and 12 minutes in the morning for those making less than $30,000. Daytime programming is at an hour and 58 minutes for those making $30,000 or less and an hour and 12 minutes for those making $100,000 or more.

But Nielsen research shows that many users can yield similar viewing time in prime time. For example, those who are making less than $30,000 a year watch an average of an hour and 58 minutes; those making $100,000 or more watch an average of an hour and 52 minutes.