The fight is on for younger viewers for bedtime TV. As widely reported, next year Conan O'Brien will replace Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon will replace O'Brien. Leno is being displaced, despite
his steady ratings, because he is not cute and young enough for the YouTube generation. "In this age of fragmented viewership, YouTube and iTunes, the young part is the most important piece of the
puzzle."
O'Brien is a proven youth-attractor, with the youngest average viewership among the late-night shows, at 47.3 years compared to Leno's average of 54.3. Younger viewers are more
attractive than ever to advertisers, and NBC is increasingly trying to capitalize on mobile and online ad platforms.
Says producer Lorne Michaels: "No one under the age of 18 comes
home and turns on their TV before their computer."
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