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TV Networks Unknown to Young Generation

When Bolt Media recently conducted an unscientific poll of its users, it found some statistics that might trouble television network executives engaged in building on the power of their brand.

Bolt, whose members form communities based on creating and sharing their own content, reported that a third of those ages 16-34 could not name a single one of the major U.S. television networks. About 25 percent of them could name NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox.

The poll by its very definition skews toward active Internet users, so it is no surprise that 85 percent of respondents listed going online as a favorite leisure activity, with 69 percent citing television viewing and slightly more (71 percent) naming movie watching.

"Viewers are shifting away from TV faster than the advertisers, but we certainly expect that trend to change as companies like Bolt, MySpace and YouTube become the place to create, collect and consume content," Bolt Media CEO Aaron Cohen said. "People who grew up in the past 20 years are used to being part of the online media mix. Almost every milestone of their lives has been videotaped, and they're used to being a part of the content."

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