Commercial Television Breaks, Consumer Behaviour and New Technology: An Initial Analysis Available to Purchase

Explores UK audience reception data provided by the Broadcasting Audience Research Board (BARB) and questions it with regard to new technology. Discusses technological innovations with reference to changing from passive to interactive television viewing, and notes developments to remote control television, teletext, video recorders, computers, cable television and micro‐TVs. Puts forward the development of new technology and spotlights its possible growth areas but does warn that, at present, new technology is still at the innovation stage. States also that video recorders and remote control equipped televisions are presently in an early stage of development and use. Assesses types of households and selects four for questionnaire use. Gives tabular typology for types and illustrates these in depth. Concludes that technology is affecting audience receptivity to commercial breaks on television, and that media planners and commercial advertisers must regard current audience data as inconclusive.