JAY LENO - CONAN'S AUDIENCE SKEWS YOUNGER THAN DAVE'S (OR JAY'S)

CONAN'S AUDIENCE SKEWS YOUNGER THAN DAVE'S (OR JAY'S)

Since Conan O'Brien took over as host of the Tonight show last month, the median age of the show's audience has dropped to 45 from 55 when it was hosted by Jay Leno, the New York Times reported today (Monday), citing research by both NBC and CBS. "In network television, where audiences tend to age up consistently, this is an eye-popping development," the newspaper observed. It noted, however, that part of the reason for O'Brien's younger-trending audience is that older viewers are switching to Letterman and ABC's Nightline . David Poltrack, who tracks ratings for CBS, told the newspaper, "Conan's strength is almost entirely in men between 18 and 34. ... We're gaining in other categories."

06/07/2009