Germans say "Nein" to television

MUNICH (Hollywood Reporter) - For the first time in recent memory, Germans spent less time in front of their TVs in 2007 than they did the year before, according to a new survey.

Perhaps distracted by the introduction of such Web sites as MySpace.de and iTunes.de, German kids led the exodus, boding ill for the future of the medium.

According to the preliminary results of an annual study by Germany's television research institute, the GfK in Nuremberg, average per-day viewing in 2007 slipped to 208 minutes, down from 212 the year before. For young people the drop was more severe, to 178 minutes from 184.

Online entertainment consumption in Germany has long lagged that in the U.S. and U.K. But the fact that the major broadcasters also lost ground to smaller channels might signal the beginnings of dissatisfaction with big-time television programming in general.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter