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Nielsen Online‘s “2007 Australian Internet and Technology Report” claimed that for the first time, Australians were spending more time online than they were watching TV (an average of 13.7 hours per week compared with 13.3 hours of TV).

Shortly thereafter, Roy Morgan Research said that Australian consumers ages 14 and older spent more than twice as much time watching TV as they did online.

Roy Morgan claims that the difference is because it used a representative cross-sample of the Australian population, including heavy, medium, light and non-Internet users, while the Nielsen data was based on an online panel that didn’t cover all Australians.

The point is valid. eMarketer estimates that in 2007, 33.3% of Australians were not Internet users, roughly the same as in the US.

Panel surveys should take such factors into account. Is it accurate to say then that Australians are truly turning away from TV in droves?

Ben Macklin, a senior analyst at eMarketer based in Australia, says that the usage question is somewhat misguided.

“In many respects the direct comparison between TV and Internet usage is not entirely valid,” Mr. Macklin said.

“One can do both at the same time. Often TV and Internet usage are simultaneous. Internet usage also can occur throughout the day at work and at home, while most TV usage occurs at home in the evenings.”

The eMarketer TV Advertising report will be published in June 2008. Click here to be notified when it is released.