The Audience: Who Watches When

When it’s cold outside, people tend to burn their TV sets longer. In fact, according to the A.C. Nielsen Co., audience figures climb 25% in the winter. This January and February, viewing hit an alltime high — 461 hours a week in the average U.S. home. The most habitual viewers are women 50 and over, who put in 331 hours before the set. Least hooked are the teenagers: they sit still for only about 19 hours a week.