• by Wayne Friedman , August 29, 2008

The U.S. TV audience continues its slow growth path, with Asian and Hispanic TV homes and older TV viewers growing more than twice as fast as the nation as a whole.

The Nielsen Company now estimates there will be 114.5 million homes for the 2008-2009 TV season--an increase of 1.5%. The number of people age 2 plus is now at 290 million, moving up 1.3%.

Hispanic TV homes will grow 4.3% to 12,660,000, as Asian TV households climb 4.4% to 4,740,000. African-American TV homes will gain about half as much as Hispanic or Asian TV homes, at 2.2% to 13,950,000.

As evidence of baby boomers on the move, people 55 years and older will climb 2.7% to 71.3 million. By way of comparison, the next-youngest group of viewers--34-55--will move up by about half that amount--1.4% to 119 million.

Locally, Nielsen notes that the TV population continues to move into more Southwest and Mountain time-zone markets. But in terms of rank changes in DMA, there were no changes in the top 20 markets. Nielsen says that's the first time in more than 10 years.

Nielsen did note that Indianapolis entered the top 25 markets, increasing to 25 from 26. Las Vegas showed steady growth, moving to 42 from 43. Palm Springs, Calif. moved up two spots to 142 from 144.

Among the smaller markets in the Mountain regions--Salt Lake City, Utah and Reno, Nev.--each climbed two spots to 33rd place and 108th place. Grand Junction-Montrose, Colo. gained three places to 184th. Butte-Bozeman, Montana moved up four spots to 190, and Spokane, Wash. rose two places to 75th.

Nielsen said the TV home estimates will be in force for national TV outlets starting Sept. 1, while new local data will take effect Sept. 27.