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The vast majority of people watched some form of cultural activity on television in the 12 months before the survey. As figure 9.01 shows, drama was the most popular television experience, with an estimated 2.3 million people, or 82 percent of the adult population, having watched at least one episode of a television drama during the reference period. An estimated 1.7 million people, or 61 percent of the adult population, had watched a popular music performance or music clip. Other cultural activities were less commonly experienced via television, with around one in five people watching opera or musical theatre, Māori performing arts and other ethnic performing arts.
Figure 9.01
Proportion of adults experiencing cultural activities on television, in previous 12 months, by cultural activity
Watching television drama was very common among all groups. Women were slightly more likely than men to have done so (85 percent compared with 80 percent) and the proportion of viewers fell slightly with age. People with educational qualifications were also slightly more likely than those without qualifications to watch television drama. There was also some variation by ethnicity, as figure 9.02 shows, with European/Pākehā being the most likely to watch television drama (85 percent) and Pacific peoples and those in the ‘other’ ethnic group category being the least likely (73 percent and 70 percent respectively).
The viewing of different types of musical performance on television was clearly differentiated by age, mirroring the patterns for attendance at live musical performances. As figure 9.03 shows, viewing of popular music declined with age, while viewing of opera and musical theatre increased with age. The proportion of people watching popular music performances or music clips fell from 79 percent of 15–24 year olds to 36 percent of those aged 65 and over. The proportion of people watching opera was much smaller, which may partly reflect a lack of opera on television rather than simply a lack of interest. However, the pattern contrasts markedly with that of popular music, with the proportion viewing opera increasing with age, from 14 percent of 15–24 year olds to 33 percent of those aged 65 and over.
Figure 9.03
Proportion of adults watching musical performances on television, in previous 12 months, by age
There were also some similarities in the audiences for each type of music on television – viewing was higher among people with educational qualifications in each instance and it was higher among people who were not employed. In the case of opera and musical theatre, viewing was highest among people not in the labour force (25 percent), and in the case of popular music, it was highest among people who were unemployed (68 percent). This may reflect the age profile of the different audiences – older people, who are the most likely to watch opera and musical theatre, tend to have left the labour force, while the youngest age groups, who are the most interested in popular music, have the highest rates of unemployment.
Not surprisingly, viewing of Māori and other ethnic performing arts varied considerably by ethnicity, as figure 9.04 shows. Māori were far more likely than other ethnic groups to watch Māori performing arts on television, with an estimated 158,000, or 58 percent of adult Māori, doing so over the 12-month period. The number of European/Pākehā watching Māori performing arts was far greater at 382,000, but the proportion was far less at 18 percent – lower than the proportion of Pacific peoples watching Māori performing arts (29 percent). Pacific peoples were the most likely to have watched other ethnic performing arts on television, with 68,000 (48 percent) doing so during the reference period. European/Pākehā made up the majority of people watching other ethnic performing arts (305,000 people), but the proportion doing so was relatively low, at 14 percent, compared with 33 percent of Māori and 23 percent of people from other ethnic groups.
Figure 9.04
Proportion of adults watching ethnic performing arts on television, in previous 12 months, by ethnicity
Viewing of ethnic performing arts was also highest among people who were unemployed, with 33 percent watching Māori performing arts and 28 percent watching other ethnic performing arts. Those least likely to view such performances were those who were employed and those in high income groups. Of those in the $50,000 and over income bracket, just 18 percent watched Māori performing arts on television and 14 percent watched other ethnic performing arts. These patterns reflect the socio-economic position of the ethnic groups who make up much of the audience for such performances.
There was also regional variation in the television audience for Māori performing arts, with viewing being highest in Northland (32 percent), Bay of Plenty 29 percent) and Gisborne/Hawke’s Bay (27 percent) – all regions with relatively large Māori populations.
In addition to the above activities surveyed in the 12-month period, people were asked whether they had watched any movies from start to finish on television in the previous four weeks. Just under two million people, or 71 percent of the adult population, had done so. As figure 9.05 shows, this fell progressively with age, from 81 percent of people aged 15–24 to 62 percent of people in the 65 and over group. This mirrors the pattern among people who had gone out to watch movies, although the numbers watching on television are far greater and fall less markedly with age. The proportions of people watching movies on television did not vary significantly by any other characteristics.
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