Writers Strike helps online viewing services

TechCrunch reports that the Writers Strike has begun to greatly help out online video sites, some of which are now reporting that thier audience has doubled since the strike began. They cite new numbers from Nielsen Online for this report, which shows YouTube's users up 18% and another viewing site, Crackle; as being up from 1.2 million users to 2.4 million users.TechCrunch cites a BBC report in which a Nielsen analyst said the growth is greater than normally expected during that time frame and that he considers the strike a "possible factor".
According to the TechCrunch post, a new Pew Report shows that Internet users who visited video sharing sites is now 48%, which is up from 33% in December of 2006!
I have to say that due to the Jericho Campaign, I now use YouTube much more than I ever did before, and I use it for more than just viewing Jericho videos. I can see those who were already using it before the strike using it more, but I can't see how it has become a replacement for television shows. We still have the cable channels, and I would much rather watch a full show of artistic worth opposed to short videos on a website. I am surprised at these numbers from Nielsen and the Pew Report.
So, in the spirit of research, I hope to get the readers to answer a poll concerning this issue.