Digital media
Austria has a relatively high rate of PC ownership and Internet connection. By the first quarter of 2016, some 87 percent of all households were equipped with a computer, and 85 percent had internet access at home. Over the last years, there was no more growth which indicated that some 15 percent of the population remain without online communication.
Despite this high penetration of Internet at Austrian homes the use of digital media for information purposes remains low. According to the 2016 Reuters Digital News Report, more than 70 percent of Austrians use television as source of information, followed by printed newspapers (64 percent). Social media are ranked third (48 percent). Only about 40 percent of the population use websites or apps provided by traditional news media for information. There is some variation regarding age with social media being more popular among younger Austrians, but even among the 18- to 24-years-old population, television is as popular as social media regarding news (both 79 percent).
Many web services from traditional mass media companies can be found among the most frequently visited websites in Austria. The ORF, with its broad variety of Internet services, reached 9.1 million unique clients per month in the first half of 2016, up from 4.3 million unique clients in 2009. The online network of the daily newspaper Österreich, Oe24.at, reached 5.0 million unique clients. In third place was DerStandard.at with 4.6 million. A close runner-up is krone.at by Kronenzeitung, with 4.0 million unique clients (all data from OEWA). This listing shows that online media in Austria are fully controlled by incumbent media. Startups or independent newcomers do not play any significant role in the online market.
Apart from these news websites, web portals like Ebay, MSN network and e-mail services like GMX and AON (Austria Telecom) are highly popular.