MUMBAI: Americans spend more time watching TV, listening to the radio, surfing the Internet and reading newspapers than anything else except breathing.

Data released by the US census bureau forecasts that Americans will spend a total of 65 days watching TV next year and 41 days listening to the radio. A week each will be given to reading newspapers and surfing the internet. All that reading, surfing and listening will occupy 3,518 hours of the average American adult's year - almost five months. The average American will spend $936 on media in the coming year.

Americans spend an average of 4 1/2 hours a day watching television, far more time than they spend on any other medium. Next come the radio and the Internet. Reading newspapers is fourth, passed this year by Internet use.

An increasing variety of cable TV channels has cut into broadcast viewers, but it has helped increase overall viewership. Before, if you looked at kids' TV programming, it was on Saturday morning. Now there is always targeted programming available for anyone in the household.

The number of hours projected for next year in different categories are as follows:

-1,555 hours watching television, up from 1,467 in 2000. The estimate includes 678 hours watching broadcast TV and 877 watching cable and satellite.

-974 hours listening to the radio, up from 942 in 2000.

-195 hours using the Internet, up from 104.

-175 hours reading daily newspapers, down from 201.

-122 hours reading magazines, down from 135.

-106 hours reading books, down an hour.

-86 hours playing video games, up from 64.