News 

The writer's strike has caused many television networks to halt production of new shows, and fill their schedules with repeats instead.

This lack of original viewing has apparently sent viewers flocking to online video sharing sites like YouTube, which has recorded an 18% rise in traffic in the two months since the strike began, according to figures from Nielsen Online.

Other sites have also experienced traffic surges during this period, with new video-sharing site Crackle doubling its audience from 1.2 million to 2.4 million.

"That is greater growth than you would normally see in such a short period, and the strike could be a possible factor," says Nielsen analyst, Alex Burmaster.

However, the Pew Internet and American Life Project report suggests that the popularity of these sites is increasing dramatically anyway, with over half of those using the internet visiting video-sharing sites in 2007, up from 33% in 2006.

YouTube recently broadcast a US presidential debate with TV giant CNN, and earlier trialled a scheme in which viewers uploaded their questions to the candidates which were then used in the debate.