British TV viewing rose to its highest ever level in H1 2011

"The average amount of television watched by UK viewers each day hit a new high in the first half of 2011, driven by factors including people watching more live TV to avoid online spoilers.
Viewers are also watching more non-live TV on personal video recorders such as Sky+.
UK viewers notched up an average of four hours and three minutes a day of TV watching in the six months to the end of June, an increase of 51 seconds a day year-on-year, according to a report published on Monday by TV marketing body Thinkbox.
Viewers were exposed to an average of 47 ads a day – up from 45 in the same period last year.
Thinkbox, which uses figures from TV audience measurement organisation Barb, said that a number of factors had fuelled the rise in overall viewing."
Source:  Analysis from Thinkbox, taken from BARB data, reported by The Guardian, 15th August 2011