TV, Internet Play Dramatically Different Roles For Hispanics, African Americans & Whites.

Television and personal computer (PC) ownership and usage varies significantly across cultural groups, according to new findings from Knowledge Networks (KN). The difference in usage and ownership of these technologies – considered along with demographic and household income data – offers a valuable decision-making context to advertisers and marketers attempting to reach these audiences.

According to the just-released Spring 2005 Ownership & Trend Report from The Home Technology Monitor, African American households have more TVs and larger sets, compared to Hispanics and whites. In addition, the medium plays a more important social role among both African American and Hispanic households. The data also shows striking contrasts in personal computer ownership: white households own more PCs and pay more for high-speed Internet connectivity. “Each household’s choice of how to spend its budget for entertainment and education impacts how and whether marketers will be able to reach that household,” said David C. Tice, Vice President, Knowledge Networks/SRI. “And a deeper understanding of ownership and usage points toward opportunities for reaching these important groups more effectively.” In the new report, 62% of African American households were found to have more than two TVs, as compared to nearly 51% among whites and 44% among Hispanics. And roughly half (49%) of African American homes have large (30 inches or bigger) TV sets, versus 44% for whites and 41% for Hispanics.

In the KN report, almost 57% of Hispanic respondents and an equal proportion of African American respondents agreed that watching television was the household’s favorite way to relax, as compared to nearly 53% of white households. More striking, 45% of African American respondents and 50% of Hispanic households said that “much” of their family time is spent with TV, versus 29 percent of white households. The KN study also shows that 70 percent of the polled white households had a home computer, as compared to 55 percent for African Americans and 47 percent for Hispanics. And while 30 percent of white homes have broadband Internet connectivity, the same figure is 19 percent for African American households and 16 percent for Hispanics.