[JAPAN] Are Japanese tuning out on TV?

May 27, 2007 by Dennis Amith

In a recent article on Daily Yomiuri ala Televiews, Wm. Penn writes about Japanese and television ratings.

Penn writes, “Could global TV cooling, like global warming, be a worldwide trend that people are just beginning to take seriously? Recent news reports from the United States suggest TV viewership there has declined significantly in the last year. Japanese TV ratings data certainly indicates local viewers are tuning out, too.”

“Every week, the Video Research Co. offers the Top 10 ratings in eight categories–news, educational/informational, variety, music, drama, movies, animation and sports. You can check them out at www.videor.co.jp/data/ratedata/top10.htm. In the not-too-distant past, programs usually had to approach 15 percent to make the list. To be considered a major hit, a program would need to get close to 30 percent.”