Prime-time TV viewing among 18- to-24-year-olds has jumped 12% since college kids away from home were added by Nielsen Media Research to its audience sample in January. And during late night, viewing in the demo is up 9 percent, according to a Magna Global analysis, while daytime is up 5 percent. The additional viewers could be a bonus to the nets, as advertisers usually pay premium rates to reach young folks. ABC has benefited the most: Top-rated "Grey's Anatomy" gained three full ratings points in the demo and one in the broader 18- to-49-year-old bracket, while "Ugly Betty" …

There are rumors in Hollywood and on gossip site TMZ.com that George Hamilton is the frontrunner to replace the 83-year-old Bob Barker as host of "The Price is Right." TMZ.com reports that CBS chief Les Moonves and the show's producers find Hamilton "wonderfully charming" and "could really make the show work." If that is so, he could become the second host in the 35-year history of TV's longest-running game show, as Barker is set to retire in June. Hamilton, well-known for his suntan, friendship with the Marcos family--the disgraced former leaders of the Philippines--and colorful private life, first hit the …

In a new ad campaign from Mother/New York, Crunch Fitness plays up the diverse group of folks who work out at its clubs. Themed "We All Crunch," some of the characters on display in the print and outdoor executions seem like real eccentrics. But, writes Lewis Lazare, "that just might make the club-going experience more interesting for a lot of people who enjoy an offbeat people-watching ambience when they work out." One print ad spotlights a 35-year-old bartender who loves his mom and likes show tunes; another features a 33-year-old ex-tour manager for a rock band who found serenity in …

CMT will not exercise an option to televise the Miss America Pageant next year as it goes through a programming makeover. While the network is "very proud" of its work with the event, Brian Philips, general manager of CMT, says the net is now in a position in which it can be aggressive in programming "more original series and music-centric special events." Pageant executives say they have begun looking for a new TV home for 2008 and beyond, but this is the second time in four years that Miss America has been jilted by a broadcaster--as ABC threw her under …

Pfizer Inc. is rolling out new ads for Celebrex painkiller--the first television spots in two years after a previous campaign was halted due to worries that the drug was linked to heart attacks and stroke. The ads were approved by U.S. regulators, and note that Celebrex and rival medications all carry pretty much the same warnings. Commercials then ask viewers to measure the risks against Celebrex's ability to dull the pain of arthritis. The first will air during daytime talkfest "The View." Celebrex posted $3.3 billion in sales in 2004--before the last campaign was yanked--but plunged to $1.7 billion a …