United States yearbook - 1982 (1)

Media Utilization—Telephone and Telegraph Systems
555
N o. 9 34 . Ut il iz a t io n o f S e l e c t e d M e d ia : 1950 t o 1982
ITEM Unit 1950 1955 I960 1965 1970 1975 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982
Households with —
62 72 79 85 91 93 96 96 96 97 (NA)
Radio sets3.................................... Percent..... 92.6 96.4 96.3 98.6 98.6 98.6 98.9 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0
Average number of sets............. Number..... 2.1 2.4 3.7 4.1 5.1 5.6 5.7 5.7 5.5 5.5 5.5
Television sets3............. Percent..... 9 65 87 93 95 97 98 98 96 98 98
Average number of sets............. Number..... 1.01 1.03 1.13 1.22 1.39 1.54 1.63 1.67 (NA) (NA) (NA)
Color set households... Millions...... - (Z) .3 2.8 20.9 46.9 56.9 60.3 63.4 68.1 71.4
Average viewing per day4........... Hours........ 4.6 4.9 5.1 5.5 5.9 6.1 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.6 6.7
Stations 5.......................... Number..... 2,336 3,179 4,218 4,867 5,584 6,228 6,462 6,492 6,603 (NA) (NA)
AM and FM................... Number..... 2,143 2,704 3,470 3,941 4,209 4,355 4,316 4,253 4,259 (NA) (NA)
FM affiliates of AM stations........... Number..... (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 225 477 655 681 715 (NA) (NA)
66 38 218 338 464 703 777 835 904 (NA) (NA)
107 437 530 588 686 693 714 723 725 (NA) (NA)
Cable television:8
770 400 640 1,325 2,490 3,506 3,875 4,225
7.01 .15 .65 1.3 4.5 9.8 13.0 15.5 4,375
18.3 Subscribers served......................... Millions...... 4,150
14.1
21.0
Daily newspaper circulation:8
53.8 56.1 56.9 60.4 62.1 60.7 62.0 62.2 62.2 61.4 (NA)
Per capita9.................................... Number..... .354 .340 .327 .312 .305 .282 .279 .277 .275 .268 (NA)
- Represents zero. NA Not available. Z Less than 50,000. ‘As of Dec. 31. Source: American Telephone and
Telegraph Company, New York, N.Y., unpublished data. 2As of Dec. 31. Source: Radio Advertising Bureau, New York, N.Y.,
R a d io F a c ts , annual (copyright). 31970-1979, as of Sept, of prior year; all other years as of Jan. of year shown. Source: Except
as noted, 1950-1965, National Broadcasting Company, New York, N.Y., thereafter, A.C. Nielson Company, Northbrook, III.
(copyright). In Television Bureau of Advertising, Inc., New York, "Trends in Television, 1950 to Date,” April 1, 1902. 4Source:
A.C. Nielsen Company, Northbrook, III. (copyright). 8 Reporting stations, as of Dec. 1. Includes Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands.
Source: U.S. Federal Communications Commission, A M -F M and T V B ro a d c a s t F in a n c ia l D a ta , annual, and unpublished data.
6As of Jan. 1. Source: Television Digest, Inc., Washington, D.C, T e le v is io n F a c tb o o k , annual (copyright).
7 Data for 1952. BAs of Sept. 30, except 1950-1965, as of Oct. 1. Source: Editor & Publisher, Inc., New York, N.Y., E d ito r &
P u b lis h e r In te rn a tio n a l Y e a r B o o k , annual (copyright). “Per capita based on total resident population enumerated as of April 1,
1970 and 1980, and estimated as of July 1 for other years.
Source: Compiled from sources listed in footnotes.
No. 935. T e l e p h o n e a n d T e l e g r a p h Sy s t e m s : 1950 t o 1980
[Covers principal carriers filing annual reports with Federal Communications Commission. See H is to ric a l S ta tis tic s , C o lo n ia l T im e s
to 1 97 0, series R 46-70 and R 75-88, for data on telegraph systems]
ITEM Unit 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1977 1978 1979 1980
Domestic telephone:1 Carriers.............. Number........ 71 53 52 54 56 62 63 63 61 59
Telephones 3.................................... Million......... 39 50 66 82 105 130 143 146 153 157
Miles of wire..................................... Million......... 147 205 316 436 628 872 966 1,022 1,081 1,131
Gross book cost of plant..................... Bil. dol......... 10.7 16,2 25.7 36.0 59.6 95.5 113.1 123.6 134.9 147.4
Depreciation reserves 3....................... Bil. dol......... 3.0 4.1 5.6 8.1 13.2 18.8 21.9 23.5 24.9 26.5
Ratio to book cost.......................... Percent........ 27.8 25.3 21.7 21.4 22.1 19.7 19.4 19.0 18.5 18.0
Capital stock.................................... Bil. dol......... 3.2 6.0 8.4 10.0 10.8 12.4 14.2 14.8 15.5 16.3
Operating revenues............................ Bil. dol......... 3.4 5.6 8.4 11.8 18.2 31.3 40.1 45.2 49,8 55.6
Operating expenses 4......................... Bil. dol......... 2.5 3.7 5.0 7.1 11.7 20.2 25.7 29.1 33.0 37.3
Net operating income 5....................... Bil. dol......... .5 .8 1.4 2.1 3.1 5.6 7.2 8.1 8.9 10.0
Net income...................................... Bil. dol......... .4 .7 1.3 1.9 2.3 3.6 5.1 5.9 6.0 6.6
Employees....................................... 1,000............ 565 649 627 655 839 840 851 894 928 938
Bil. dol......... 1.8 2.7 3.4 4.3 7.0 11.7 13.4 16.2 18.4 20.2
Overseas telephone:
Mil. dol........
.7 1 .2 3.3 7.5 23.4 62.2 96.3 133.9 168.3 199.6
9 16 42 101 252 562 795 963 1,106 1,535
5 11 13 14 15 15 15 16
1 4 5 5 5 5 5
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Million.......... 179 70 42 45 50 55 55
152 189 190 192 234 197 214 238 271 296
Mil. dol.......... 178 262 306 402 505 555 576 636 697
Mil. dol.......... 167 206 247 282 368 435 470 492 561 603
Mil. dol.......... g 13 11 24 34 70 85 84 75 94
15 33 47 46 54 53 56 59 68
Overseas telegraph:8'
6 6 6 6 7 7
Million........... 23 28 29 32 26 23 2 2 21 20
Mil. dol.......... 42 124 217 276 320 355 380
Mil. dol.......... 60 68 87 107 194 316 397 455 497 535
Mil. dol.......... 45 58 77 87 156 245 294 336 362 405
Mil. dol.......... 4 3 6 14 26 48 69 83 85 79
Return onlnveetm ent:9
6,1 6.6 7.3 7.3 7.1 7.6 8.3 8.5 8.5 8.7
5,1 5.0 5.6 5.0 6.1 710 6.6 5.5 6.6
O v e rs e a s te le g ra p h .............................................. Percent........ 7.3 5.8 7.2 11.0 10.6 12.0 15.8 18.2 17.9 15.9
- Represents zero. ‘ Includes Puerto Rico and, beginning 1965, Virgin Islands. Excludes intercompany duplications. Gross
operating revenues of carriers reporting since 1970 estimated at 90 percent of all carriers. 3 Includes company, service, and
private. 1 Includes amortization reserves. 4Excludes taxes. 5 After tax deductions. 6 Includes telex service; for domestic
telegraph, excludes TWX. ''After Federal Income taxes, 8Beginning 1965, excludes South American and most Caribbean
operations of All America Cables and Radio, Inc. 6 Ratio of net operating income (after taxes) to average net book cost of
communications plant.
Source; U.S. Federal Communications Commission, S ta tis tic s o f C o m m u n ic a tio n s C o m m o n C a rrie rs , annual, and unpublished
data.