Asian TV households up nearly 10%

The number of overall TV households may be down, but that's not the case among the biggest ethnic minorities -- especially Asians.According to an update of Nielsen's TV Universe Estimates for the 2011-12 season -- the first report infused with 2010 census data -- Asian-American TV households have grown at a faster pace (9.6%) than Hispanics (4.6%) and African-Americans (1.5%).Asian TV homes now make up 4.6% of the nationwide Nielsen sample, while the number of Hispanic homes (12.2% of the country) is nearly as large as that of black households (12.4%). "The rapid growth of the Hispanic market has generated a number of headlines since the census numbers were revealed, but the increase of Asian households should not be overlooked," says Pat McDonough, Nielsen's senior VP of insights and analysis.The number of overall TV households declined 1.2% from last season (114.7 million vs. 115.9 million), with Caucasians accounting for nearly all of the decline.Among markets, Los Angeles is still No. 1 for both Hispanic and Asian TV households, while NY remains the top spot for African-American TV homes."We're also seeing increased geographic diversity of Hispanic and Latino consumers," McDonough says. "While Los Angeles, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale and Houston remain in the top five for Hispanic TV homes, we're seeing growth in markets that defy conventional wisdom.Hartford and New Haven, Conn.; Washington, D.C; Milwaukee; Raleigh; and Minneapolis are all in the top 50 markets overall, and saw a bump in their rankings in the past year. Contact Rick Kissell at rick.kissell@variety.com

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