No abstract

This mail survey in a midwestern city compared original viewing of the top 20 programs of the 1985–1986 season with rerun viewing. Only a minority of sample households admitted to frequent rerun viewing. The typical rerun enthusiast was something of a television addict, satisfied with current programming. These hard-core viewers, though small in number, were very devoted to network television. These rerun viewers contrasted with a new group of demographically attractive video adventurers who were more eager to experiment with programs and video technologies. Those who grew up with the newer technologies were more likely to experiment.