'Media Streamies' also techies, report

Consumers who have tuned to internet broadcasts in the past 30 days, known in the business as 'Monthly Streamies', are "very interested" in owning a variety of digital devices, according to a new study by Arbitron and Edison Media Research. The study, entitled "Internet and Multimedia 10: The Emerging Digital Consumer," reveals that Monthly Streamies, are significantly more interested in digital devices than the general population.

Twenty-nine per cent of Monthly Streamies are "very interested" in plasma or flat panel television sets versus 17 per cent of all Americans. Also, more than one in five Monthly Streamies (22 per cent) are very interested in High Definition Television Sets (HDTV) compared with 12 per cent of all Americans. The scope of the latest research from Arbitron and Edison Media Research has been expanded beyond internet usage and streaming media trends to include information on consumer interest in new digital devices, attitudes about programming and a variety of media including digital cable and satellite television.

 "Internet broadcasting is rapidly becoming a mass medium with an estimated 103m people or 44 per cent of the total population having ever used internet audio or video," said Bill Rose, vice president and general manager, Arbitron Internet Broadcast Services. "Considering the high degree of interest in digital devices exhibited by 'Streamies,' marketers of consumer electronics would be smart to consider advertising on internet broadcasting to reach and influence their target audience." The study also reports that the "digital divide" in internet usage appears to be narrowing in the US.

Overall, 75 per cent of the total population now has access to the internet from any location compared with 74 per cent of African Americans and 65 per cent of Hispanic Americans. The "digital divide", however, remains is widest in the significant areas of home and work internet access. However, Arbitron and Edison Media Research report that public libraries and schools have done an exceptional job in providing more access to ethnic constituencies. The Internet and Multimedia 10 study also reveals that the number of Americans who have super-fast broadband Internet connections in their homes has more than doubled in the last two years, from seven per cent in January 2001 to 18 per cent in January 2003. Average time spent online per week among those with broadband is 13 hours compared to eight hours per week for those who use dial-up, the study reports. ((Distributed via M2 Communications Ltd - http://www.m2.com))