• by Wayne Friedman , October 10, 2012

Most broadcast networks have seen generally lower viewership for the first two weeks of the season. Also, the average age of network viewers has gotten older.

NBC has grabbed the early two-week lead among 18-49 viewers with a 47.8 years median age, partly due to its young-skewing "The Voice" and "Sunday Night Football." NBC had been at 48.7 years median average.

CBS has a median age of 57.8 years, according to Nielsen -- the longtime oldest-skewing broadcast network. This is up from a 55.3 for the same time a year ago. ABC is at 55.3 years old this year; it had been at 53.4.

Fox, the long-time youngest-skewing network among the big four, is now at 43.3 -- up a bit from the 41.8 median average.

While Fox is easily the youngest of the big four networks, it trails two other networks on the age front. The CW has a median age of 40.9 years, up from its 36.6 of a year ago. Univision pulls in at an even younger mark than the CW -- a 40.4 years median age. This is up from a 36.8.

Looking at overall viewers so far this season, CBS averages 10.3 million prime-time viewers (a year ago it was 12.0 million); NBC is at 8.2 million (7.6 million in 2011); ABC, 7.9 million (against 9.1 million); Fox, 5.4 million (7.5 million, a year ago); Univision, 3.5 million (3.7 million in 2011); and the CW, 850,000 (1.7 million, 2011).

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