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Study: Network Audiences Showing A Little More Gray

Richard Huff New York Daily News

Network TV viewers are getting older, according to a new survey.

In fact, with the exception of CBS, the median viewing age at each of the other five broadcast networks is at a five-year high in terms of median viewer ages, according to the study by TN Media, a Manhattan-based ad buyer. And CBS, the oldest-skewing network of them all, missed its previous high by just one-tenth of a year.

“It’s partly a function of the programming, and the population is aging,” said TN Media’s Steve Sternberg, author of the study.

For some, such as the fledgling WB network, the aging audience is a desired result of its programing plans to broaden its appeal. For NBC and ABC, the increase may be a reflection of the age of the programs they’re airing.

And the influx of older-skewing newsmagazines also is boosting the median ages.

CBS, as always, has the highest median age, 52.5. Median age means there are just as many viewers above that age as there are below.

CBS is down from 52.6 a year ago.

NBC’s median age in prime time is 42.9, up from 40.3 last fall. ABC’s median age is 41.7, up from 40.8.

UPN’s median age is 37.4, up from 31.7. Fox’ is 34.1, up from 32.8. And the WB’s is 26.6, up from 24.2.

In daytime, the median age for the Big Three networks combined is 49.1, with CBS drawing the oldest at 56.3 and ABC the youngest at 42.9.

The Big Three morning shows averaged a median age of 56.6, a five-year high. And the evening-news average median age for the three networks is 56.6.

Three shows are tied for the youngest median age, all on the upstart UPN and WB networks. UPN’s “Clueless” and “Moesha” and the WB’s “Dawson’s Creek” all have a median age of 21.

On the other end, CBS’ “Diagnosis Murder” is the oldest-skewing show, with a median age of 57.

Some other results:

“Felicity” (WB), 26.7; “Buffy” (WB), 26.7; “The Simpsons” (Fox), 27.7; “That ‘70s Show (Fox), 29.2; “The X-Files” (Fox), 34.3; “Ally McBeal” (Fox), 36.3; “ER” (NBC), 39.5; “Legacy” (UPN), 43.3; “Monday Night Football” (ABC), 43.8; “NYPD Blue” (ABC), 44.6; “Nash Bridges” (CBS), 47.9; “Martial Law” (CBS), 49.5; “JAG” (CBS), 54.3, and “60 Minutes” (CBS), 56.5.