Media orientation and media use - Television viewing behavior of specific reader types from 1975 to 1995

Data from the 1975 and 1995 Dutch surveys were used to analyze the relation ship between television viewing and reading behavior and the changes in thi s relationship over time. The central question of the article is, How do sp ecific reader types differ in their television viewing behavior? This quest ion is answered by using latent class analysis to identify, the set of mutu ally exclusive latent classes of readers and by estimating the probability that each reader type will display a specific Kind of content-related telev ision viewing behavior Kinds of print media and television programs are dif ferentiated by referring to the extent to which they each focus on kinds of information or entertainment or both. Five reader types were identified ac cording to hour each specifically combines various reading items. Analysis of their television viewing behavior shows the existence of five audience s egments with distinct background characteristics. The results give empirica l substance to the notions of media orientation and audience segmentation; they document the overall decline in reading.