Graying TV: Network viewers average age now 50

The trade publication Variety had an interesting story Sunday, noting that the average age of TV viewers watching the four broadcast networks -- not including those who use DVRs to time delay programs -- is 50.

That's the oldest age since New York TV analyst Steve Sternberg started keeping track about 10 years ago. It's older than the 18 to 49 target age preferred by the advertising industry. According to Variety's story, "CBS was oldest in live viewing this past season with a median age of 54. ABC clocked in at 50, followed by NBC (49), Fox (44), CW (34) and Univision (34)."

Among series, "at ABC, youngest series was "Supernanny" (with a median age of 41), while oldest was "Women's Murder Club" (57). At CBS, youngest was "How I Met Your Mother," "Kid Nation" and the Tuesday edition of "Big Brother," tied at 45; oldest was "60 Minutes" (60). NBC's youngest show was "Scrubs" (34), and oldest was "Monk" (58).

At Fox, the youngest shows were "American Dad" and "Family Guy" (29), while the oldest was "Canterbury's Law" (55). At CW, "One Tree Hill" was youngest (26), while "Life Is Wild" was oldest (45)."

Note that the oldest-skewing shows: "Women's Murder Club," "Life is Wild," "Canterbury's Law," and NBC's airings of "Monk" have all been discontinued. 

This echoes something I was telling my editor earlier today: The increasing divide between cable and broadcast TV viewers. I like to call it the Retail Store Theory of Television.

Especially in a year where the Hollywood writers' strike hobbled network TV, the big, free TV networks are starting to look like Wal-Mart -- packed with cheap, enticing goods that somehow aren't quite as good as you would expect.

Standard cable is a cut above -- the Target of the TV industry as it were -- with slightly better service and products for a price. More and more often, if you're looking for a quality scripted show, you're looking at AMC's "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad," USA's "Burn Notice," "Monk" and "Psych," TNT's "The Closer" and "Saving Grace," or FX's "Rescue Me," "Damages" or "The Shield."

  Premium cable outlets such as HBO and Showtime are even headier -- the Nordstrom's and Dillards of the industry -- filled with the kind of groundbreaking and high quality series that connoisseurs of TV can appreciate. File "Weeds," "Californication," "Dexter," "John Adams," "In Treatment," "Entourage" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" under this heading.

Once upon a time, we all shared the same TV experiences more or less, whether we lived in a mansion or a slum. I fear for the day when even the quality of TV content we receive is stratified by income, and even the big group experiences which once united our nation are ancient history. 

Comments

[joe hillman]

great analogy about retail stores and tv.

personally, i rarely watch network tv. i'm a single guy in my 40s. outside of law and order and 60 minutes (neither are must see tv for me) or sports, i don't watch network tv.

come to think of it, i watch american experience more than any other network series.

if i'm not watching a game, i am watching 85-90 percent cable tv. history channels, national geographic, food network, news networks, i'm always surfing amid those.

[Lisa]

Your last graph is something I have lamented often. It's all part of the death of the middle class. When I was a kid we all shared certain experiences no matter how rich or poor we were. We watched the moon walk, we watched the last episode of MASH for example. I think having common experiences unifies us more and makes us care more about what happens to our neighbors.

[Dave Shafer]

Eric,

You hit the nail on the head. TV is already startified, just as TV viewers are startified. There are very few common experiences anymore. Hope the Olympics still qualify as one!

[Jim]

The thing is, a lot of people just don't watch TV anymore. They're surfing the net, playing the Wii, watching a DVD, using their IPod or Blackberry, or (gasp!) reading.

You're right about the divide, though. There just isn't much compelling material coming from the networks anymore. Cable is slightly better, with more creative material on Discovery and TLC that I watch from time to time.