Released today by the IPA, the Q2 report reveals that average daily viewing hours are showing signs of beginning to grow again. Viewing hours were at 3.46 hours, compared with 3.43 for the same period last year.
Digital channels are continuing to record a rise in overall viewing share, which is up 36.4% compared with 34.6% for the first quarter of this year.
The report reveals that three out of four homes now have some form of digital reception.
Although digital channels' increase in viewing share has had a negative effect on the shares of all terrestrial channels, the percentage of total viewing to all commercial channels remains fairly constant at 61.6% compared with 61.8% in Q1.
Lynne Robinson, research director at the IPA, said: "The most marked feature of the results for me is the continuing rise of digital television.
"It is demonstrating incredibly strong performances in penetration, patronage and share of viewing."
David Brennan, research and strategy director of television marketing body Thinkbox, said: "If you take a longer view, the average number of viewing hours has stayed fairly constant throughout every decade since records began.
"What these results don't tell us is how much viewing is going to mobile TV, internet TV and out-of-home TV."
Brennan called for an easier way to add this type of data to the figures collated by Barb in order to give TV buyers a clearer picture of viewing patterns.
He said: "Our view is that there has been an underlying increase in viewing that has not been picked up by Barb, which only monitors designated TV sets in the homes of Barb members."
Brennan attributed the slight increase in viewing to "some really successful big programmes for the major players such as ITV and Channel 4".
He said: "Programmes such as Britain's Got Talent prove that it is still possible to bring mass audiences together to watch the same thing.
"Broadcasters are going back to their family channel roots and delivering programmes that unite the household."
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