Variety's Brian Lowry compares the cable nets' pursuit of the youth demographic to Norma Desmond's tragic pursuit of youth itself:

The cable nets' older profiles have also yielded absurd exchanges about demographic superiority, such as the boast that more young adults view MSNBC's Keith Olbermann than CNN's Paula Zahn. Whichever midget is taller, the truth remains that the vast majority of young adults have no interest in either.

What should be troubling for everyone in news is that even with all their pandering to the under-30 crowd, precious little entices them to tune in.

So the news bizbiz continues to pound its collective head against the demographic wall -- a scenario that brings to mind the Billy Wilder classic "Sunset Blvd.," where writer Joe Gillis tells aging star Norma Desmond, "There's nothing tragic about being 50. Not unless you're trying to be 25."

I'd like to take issue with Lowry here. When it comes to cable news, what would be tragic is if the powers that be stopped trying to lasso the 18-49 demographic. Just because there are more older viewers than younger doesn't been that we whippersnappers should be written off to pursue faster and better snowboarding accidents, far, far from any television sets. We anklebiters want the news, but we don't want to be told by the critics that we shouldn't watch because it's hopelessly antiquated. With the departure of the big three network anchors, the news is a lot younger and fresher, and cable's continuing that trend. And if that's "trying to be 25," well, than all I can say is "fake it til you make it" to that 25 year old audience. Anyway, age is an attitude, not so much a chronological thing, and Shep Smith and Anderson Cooper are fresh and cool in a way I expect they'll be when they're 54. Time, of course, brings a certain gravitas to us all, but the worst thing the cablers can do is give up on trying to snag the youth demographic. Fortunately, media critic are media critics because they're not news execs, and ultimately what the critics want doesn't matter.

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