TV Hours Bring Few Changes

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31345, 15 April 1967, Page 14

TV Hours Bring Few Changes

r There is little evidence that the recent introduction of afternoon television has greatly affected the domestic habits of Christchurch housewives.

Information from a random survey yesterday and from city business firms suggested that afternoon television was not occupying housewives generally from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Business houses have seen no marked change in the shopping habits of women during the last fortnight.

The a large de-

partment store in Christchurch said yesterday afternoon television had not affected business in the slightest His store was busy yesterday afternoon and the general shopping trend during the last fortnight had been the same as ever, he said.

In the suburbs there appears to have been no change, either. Several stores contacted said women were always more inclined to shop in the mornings rather than the afternoons. One manager said more than half the business conducted on any day was done in the morning. Three of the 10 housewives contacted yesterday said they did not have television either because they did not want it, it was bad for f se children.

or they could not afford it. Of the rest, four said they watched afternoon programmes a few times last week when the weather was cold. Two said they did not have time in the afternoons to. watch and another, a widow, said she spent practically the whole time in front of the set because she lived on her own and wanted television for company. One woman said she had got rid of her set because her daughter’s school reports had become so bad. The child had also been suffering from migraine headaches. Once the set had gone, the child’s school marks had improved. Another widow said she liked to have the set on even though she did not watch it all the time. She said she

could pop from the kitehen Into the lounge to see what was pn but would be glad when she had a portable set for the kitchen. “I go in for all these competitions, so I might win one,” she said hopefully. A young mother said the introduction of afternoon viewing would be marvellous in the winter when it was too cold for the children to be outside.

Another woman said she and her husband were “not old enough” to have television. “It would only keep us from going out to things like concerts,” she said. “We had it for five months, but there wasn't enough of that sort of thing on then. Maybe it has changed. Has it?”