• by Wayne Friedman , August 4, 2010

New data shows that in virtually every broadcast prime-time program, added DVR playback lowers a show's median age -- except one.

Ironically, that comes with "Gossip Girl" on CW. That network, which has had the highest percentage of time shifters, has many shows getting at or near 30% of its overall seven days worth of viewing coming from time-shifted playback. The CW also has the lowest median age of any broadcast network.

The data comes from Brad Adgate, senior vice president and corporate media director for media agency Horizon Media.

For the 2009-2010 season, live-plus-seven median age for "Gossip Girl" was just slightly higher that its live-only median age: 27.3 for live, 28.1 for live plus seven.

The biggest time-shifted show -- in terms of overall viewers -- continues to come with the highest-rated broadcast network TV show, Fox's "American Idol." That show's performance episode for the 2009-2010 season took in 5.6 million time-shifted viewers -- 22.4% of its average 19.3 million viewers during the season.

NBC's "The Office" remained the top show in terms of percentage of time shifters to its overall audience: 36.1% (3.2 million viewers). Next came Fox's "Fringe" at 32.3% (2.4 million); CW's "Smallville" at 31.9% (877,000); "Gossip Girl" at 31.8% (692,000); NBC's "30 Rock" at 29.3% (2.0 million); and NBC's "Chuck" 28.5% (1.9 million).

CBS shows generally weren't time-shifted as much -- perhaps due to the network's older skew. Another point to consider for CBS: Its crime procedural dramas already score high live ratings when the show is repeated during the season.

Reality shows were a mixed bag.

CW's "America's Next Top Model" had the best results in terms of percentage gain, 26.% (987,000). NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice" was at a 20.9% number (1.7 million). On the lower side: ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" only witnessed 11.6% (1.7 million) and the network's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" was at 7% (635,000).

Virtually all broadcast shows witnessed their time-shifting grow year-to-year -- with faster overall-rated shows like CBS' "Big Bang Theory" almost doubling their DVR time-shifting rate -- going to 19.7% (2.0 million) in 2009-2010 from 10.3% (870,000) the year before. Much of this is due to the overall growth of DVRs in U.S. TV homes, now at a 37% penetration rate.

CBS' "Medium" was perhaps the only broadcast network show to lose ground -- down to a 19.2% (1.5 million) time-shifting rate from 21.0% (1.8 million) the year before.