CBS URGES ADVERTISERS TO EYE BOOMERS.

Byline: David Bauder Associated Press 

Baby boomers, part of a demographic bulge that has influenced American public taste for 50 years now, have a new champion in CBS.

The network says it is launching a campaign to convince the advertising community that younger isn't necessarily better - and more valuable - when trying to reach a television audience.

CBS is bucking years of practice with its campaign, which it hopes will reduce the disparity between ad prices for shows that appeal to younger audiences and those that reach older people.

Advertisers currently tend to look most carefully at a television show's performance among the 18- to 49-year-old age category. Indeed, when networks tout their new fall lineups to advertisers each spring, it's almost as if people over age 50 don't exist.

CBS's first step will be to report television ratings information specific to the 35- to 54-year-old age group.

``Historically, this is the period of life with the greatest amount of consumer spending and this will be the largest group within that category at any one time,'' said David Poltrack, head of research at CBS.

Marketers have taken note of the graying of the Baby Boom in the way they package and create products, but this trend ``is not reflected in the media buying practices of the advertising community,'' Poltrack said. ``There's no question about that. We think it has to come.''

One reason for CBS's frustration: a 30-second ad on its popular ``Touched By an Angel'' program cost $102,000 last fall while the competing Fox comedy, ``The Simpsons,'' could charge $159,000 for the same ad. ``The Simpsons'' has fewer total viewers, but more young ones.

General advertising theory is that young people watch less TV and are harder to reach, making shows that pull in those viewers more valuable.

Advertisers believe they can pull in older viewers as well when they advertise on younger-skewing shows, while the same doesn't hold true for shows geared to older viewers, said Steve Grubbs of the advertising firm BBDO.

``There are good reasons why clients market to certain age groups and certain demographics,'' he said. ``I don't think CBS's positioning will change that.''

CBS stands to gain financially, of course, if advertisers buy their new campaign. CBS has traditionally had an older audience than its rivals and the key to its successful season last year, most analysts believe, is that it played to this strength instead of trying to resist it.

``This is a very strong case,'' Poltrack said. ``I hope the advertisers look at the merits of the argument and not just dismiss it because we are the ones who stand to benefit.''