Good news for WIFT members who work in traditional broadcast media - new research commissioned by NZ On Air confirms the majority of New Zealanders are still consuming linear television and live radio - every day. Don't get complacent though, because music audiences and the young are leading the charge to digital platforms.
In the first independent, publicly available New Zealand research across media types, Colmar Brunton surveyed 1,400 New Zealanders aged 15-plus in April this year about what media they consumed "yesterday."
The survey found 83% of respondents watched live television daily, while 67% listened to live radio and both for a considerable amount of time each day - more than any other media
12% of viewers used one of the broadcasters' On Demand websites to watch a broadcast programme when it suited them, while 6% use overseas online TV sites such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu.
Predictably, it's among the younger generation that the online move is most obvious. While 76% of 15 - 24 year olds watched linear television daily, 66% also watched videos online (Youtube or Vimeo) the previous day.
When asked where they became aware of new music, 60% of all respondents said on the radio, 36% said via streaming services such as Spotify, Youtube and Soundcloud.
Among 15-24 year olds the latter figure jumps to 67%. Newer market entrants Spotify and iHeartRadio have already achieved a weekly reach of 12% and 5% respectively.
Other online content such as webseries still have a small audience. This is an area NZ On Air says it will continue to take a close interest in, given the opportunities for innovation and experimentation.
NZ On Air intends to repeat the research at intervals to show trends over time.
The full research report "Where are the audiences?" is available at www.nzonair.govt.nz/research/