• June 5, 2003

A new study conducted by BIGresearch has found that when primetime viewers are tuning in, they may in fact be tuning out. Sixty-eight percent of respondents to the company's Simultaneous Media Study said that they engage in simultaneous media usage during primetime, with 50 percent of respondents noting that they regularly or occasionally read magazines while watching TV. Of the 50 percent, only 7.6 percent said they pay full attention to commercials when watching - a portentous finding for advertisers paying top dollar for primetime slots.

"Magazine publishers could utilize SIMM to help advertisers understand the potential erosion of impact an advertisement may have as a result of the intermittent engagements of various consumer groups with a particular medium," said Dr. Joe Pilotta, BIGresearch's vice president, research and co-author of the report, in a press release. "This knowledge can lead to more effective media planning." BIGresearch is a consumer market intelligence firm based in Worthington, Ohio. Its syndicated "Consumer Intentions and Actions" survey monitors more than 8,000 consumers each month.