Online vs TV

The same day that the CRTC issued its new private TV policy, Ipsos reported that for the first time, weekly internet usage in Canada overtook TV viewing.

But all is not as it seems. If you look carefully at the Ipsos release (that is – look past the headline), you realize that their study was from the Ipsos Online panel. In other words, for people who are already on-line enough that they don’t mind doing on-line surveys, these people now spend more time in front of the computer than they do in front of the TV.

Or at least they say they do.

While Ipsos claims that the sample is representative, their weightings are done to match demographics, not necessarily representative viewership. If you look beyond the headline, Ipsos carefully tried to couch their language:

the weekly Internet usage of online Canadians has moved ahead of the number of hours spent watching television.

Ipsos didn’t say “the weekly Internet usage of Canadians has moved ahead…”; the statement referred to “online Canadians”. Be sure to read the fine print. The general news media and many other commentators didn’t bother.