Tuning In to TV

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Fox sets summer slate

Fox is kicking off its summer slate in late May, starting with the return of "So You Think You Can Dance" and the new drama "Mental," Variety says.

"Dance" will kick off its fifth season May 21 with a two-hour special (the night after the "American Idol" finale, as has become tradition at Fox). "Dance" also will air a two-hour special on May 27 before moving into a regular series pattern - with two-hour performance shows on Wednesdays and one-hour weekly-results shows Thursdays at 9 p.m.

The new drama "Mental," meanwhile, will air Fridays at 9 p.m. beginning May 22. Fox TV Studios and Fox International Channels shot 13 episodes of the show - starring Chris Vance and Annabella Sciorra - in the fall at Fox TeleColombia in Bogota, Colombia.

"Mental" will be paired with the return of the reality series "Don't Forget the Lyrics," which will air Fridays at 8 p.m. starting May 22. On July 3, the reality competition "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" will take over that slot.

Study: Tube still tops

For all the fuss over new media, old-fashioned TV is still by far the most popular medium for all consumers, young and old. In fact, on average, consumers spend only about two minutes a day watching free TV via the Internet and not even a full minute watching mobile video, MediaWeek.com reports.

The findings, released Thursday in New York during a two-hour presentation, are from a landmark consumer study conducted by the Center for Media Design and Sequent Partners for the Council for Research Excellence at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. Backed by the Nielsen Co. - which spent $3.5 million on the study - CRE was founded four years ago to help guide measurement priorities for Nielsen.

Contrary to popular belief, the study also found that younger consumers are not the biggest consumers of media. The biggest consumers of media are those in the 45-to-54 age group, dubbed the "digital boomer." The digital boomer, who on average has a daily screen time of 9 1/2 hours, watches a lot of TV but also spends a lot of time on the computer. Screen time for all other age groups, including the 18-to-24 and 25-to-34 age groups, is 8 1/2 hours.

Other findings pointed to the shifting role of media. The computer has replaced radio as the No. 2 media activity. While reach is similar for both - 77 percent for radio and 75 percent for the computer - consumers spend on average two hours and 33 minutes on the computer but just one hour and 49 minutes with radio.

Conducted over a year, the study is considered the largest of its kind. Using observational research, 350 former Nielsen panelists were shadowed by researchers, who observed consumers using media as they went about their daily activities. Data was collected twice, in the spring and fall of last year, in five markets - Seattle, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta and Philadelphia.

'Chopping' axed

NBC has chopped "The Chopping Block" off its prime-time schedule, effective immediately.

The network instead will run repeats of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. beginning this week. NBC said it still hoped to bring the show back at a later date.

The decision to yank "Block" comes after the show posted an unappetizing rating of just 2.6 million viewers overall, Variety says. The cooking competition was hosted by British chef Marco Pierre White.

On tap tonight ...

WETA All Access (10:30 p.m., WETA-Channel 26) - An examination of the Washington National Cathedral, detailing its architectural and artistic flourishes.

• Compiled by Robyn-Denise Yourse from staff, Web and wire reports