Are DVRs the Reason Behind Ratings Slump?

According to Nielsen Media Research, the ratings for TV shows are on the downfall. Extremely popular shows suffered the loss of viewers in this past spring season. This is obviously a problem for which studios need an answer, so Nielsen Media Research conducted a study to determine what the cause was for this ratings deficit. An estimated 17 percent of households that own a television are equipped with a DVR. They discovered that not only were DVRs being used frequently, but about 42 percent of the shows were recorded rather than watched live. They also found that of the viewers who record their favorite television shows, more than half skip the commercials. Nielsen developed a system to find out on which shows the commercials are watched more often. For instance, NBC's The Office had a very high rate of commercial viewers, even while watching it on a DVR. This way, companies can pay more for their commercials to be on a show where the advertisements are skipped less frequently. They are reluctant to disclose the actual numbers of their study, for fear that it will destroy the industry, since advertisements are their primary income.