Television executives define "really old"

Excerpts from a WaPo article about the Law and Order television series being discontinued:

In its heyday, "Law & Order" was an important tentpole on NBC's primetime lineup, averaging about 19 million viewers each week. These days, it's averaging around 7.3 million viewers. More problematic: the show's audience is very old. About 64 percent of the show's audience -- 4.7 million people -- are aged 50 and older.

This is important because NBC executives have steadfastly maintained for years that they do all their ad sales business according to how many 18-49 year olds their shows can deliver to advertisers. The network does not include in its sales pitches any viewer who is over the age of 49.

Personally, I think that's why network television has lost so many viewers (including me)