英國人看電視時間增多 每天超四個小時
Britons have been watching almost 2-1/2 hours more television a week this year as cash-strapped people stay at home more -- and because there's more to watch, figures showed on Tuesday.
Official statistics from The Broadcasters' Audience Research Board's updated measurement panel (BARB) showed Britons watched 30 hours and 4 minutes of TV a week during the first three months, or more than four hours a day.
The increase was attributed to greater choice, with 94 percent of households now accessing digital TV; a rise in on-demand services which allow people to watch programs they have missed; and the economic recession.
"Anyone who doubted the continuing importance and popularity of broadcast TV in the UK should hopefully be convinced by these new figures," said Tess Alps, chief executive of Thinkbox, the marketing body for commercial TV in Britain.
"However, record levels are unlikely to continue. We are nearing the peak, if we are not there already. Once analog signals are finally turned off in 2012, the figures are likely to stabilize, but hopefully will remain at these high levels."
本週二公佈的數據顯示，今年英國人每週看電視的時間增加了約兩個半小時，一方面是因爲經濟拮据使人們待在家裏的時間增多，而另外一方面則是因爲可看的電視節目更多了。
英國廣播聽衆調查委員會最新監測組發佈的官方統計數據顯示，今年前三個月，英國人每週看電視的時間爲30個小時零4分鐘，也就是每天看電視超過四小時。
英國人看電視時間增多一方面是因爲可供選擇的電視節目增多，目前英國有94%的家庭擁有數字電視；另外電視點播服務的出現讓人們能夠看到他們錯過的節目，此外經濟衰退也是原因之一。
英國商業電視市場營銷機構Thinkbox的執行總監苔絲•艾爾普斯說：“這些最新數據應該能讓那些懷疑電視廣播在英國的影響力和受歡迎程度的人打消疑慮。”
“但是，這種創紀錄的高水平不可能一直持續下去。即便現在不是最高點，離最高點也不遠了。一旦模擬信號節目在2012年停播，這些數據可能將趨向於穩定，不過我們希望它們仍然能維持在這麼高的水平。”
Vocabulary:
cash-strapped: without enough money 資金短缺的
on-demand service: 點播服務
anolog signal:模擬信號
