Dick Clark and the Rise of "The Demo" 

I didn’t want Dick Clark to die. I want the myth that he spawned to die.

Very few people know what I’m about to report.

Clark bears responsibility for the obsessive quest to attract young audiences on television. He unwittingly gave birth to what we call "The Demo" -- the target audience that falls between the ages of 18 and 49.

Two years ago, when I turned 50, I was kicked out of the demo. All 50-year-olds are. Most go quietly. Not I. I realized quickly that to destroy the demo, I had to understand it. So I turned to one of the most knowledgeable people in our business.