Rabbit ears are multiplying.
Hit with rising cable bills and a weak economy, more Americans,
especially young adults and lower-income families, are catching their shows
using classic antennas, The NY Post reports.
Nearly 18 percent of all US households with TVs are watching
old-fashioned broadcasts delivered for free over the airwaves, up from 15
percent of homes last year, according to research firm GfK Media. That means 20.7 million homes, or roughly 54 million
consumers, now get channels over the air instead of paying a monthly cable or
satellite bill.
Despite all the talk about “cord cutting” and people
watching shows online, this marks the first year since the recession that the
firm has seen a notable uptick in broadcast-only viewers, as sustained
unemployment takes a toll on household budgets.
From 2008 to 2010, 14 percent of the 114.7 million TV households were
cable- and satellite-free. Last year, that figure ticked up by 1 percentage
point. This year saw a 3 percentage-point gain.
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