New Zealanders spent more time in 2009 watching TV than ever before, and more time in front of the box than engaging with any other media. According to figures released by the NZ Television Broadcasters' Council (NZTBC), an average of 2.94 million people watched television each day, up more than 2% over 2008. The average viewer spent 3 hours and 17 minutes tuned in daily, an increase of 9 minutes per day from the year before. Almost three quarters of the time in front of the box (73.4%) was spent watching free-to-air channels, which all experienced growth in their key demographics. Pointing to the improvements in free-to-air viewing thanks to digital receivers, Chief Executive of the NZTBC, Rick Friesen, noted "Advertisers have a great opportunity to gain from television's continued growth and strengths as a medium."