• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, September 14, 2006

According to the latest BIGresearch's latest Simultaneous Media Survey, 70% of web users say they watch TV occasionally to regularly while they surf. Of newspaper readers, nearly 65% say they watch TV occasionally to regularly while they read, and 51% of radio listeners occasionally to regularly read the newspaper while listening.

Phil Rist, VP of Strategic Initiatives for BIGresearch, concludes "When you add new media to the mix, such as satellite radio, blogging, and instant messaging, consumers have more media options than ever vying for their attention... so the world of traditional media is becoming even more fragmented."

It's clear new media usage is on the rise when compared with results from the SIMM VII survey conducted back in March of this year. This trend could be contributing to increased multitasking.

The impact of new media becomes more apparent, says the report, when looking at the types of websites visited most for fun and entertainment. Yahoo.com topped the list, followed by Pogo.com and MySpace.com. iTunes.com led the way for music/video downloads, followed by Yahoo.com and LimeWire.com.

"Consumer tendency toward media multitasking makes effective marketing and advertising an entirely new challenge," said Rist. "Suddenly, a once captive TV audience has now defined itself as a moving target."

Complimentary top line findings are available at http://www.bigresearch.com