Recipe for the youth audience

A youth play: Food!

So says BusinessWeek in its Jan. 8, 2007, issue in story about how the Food Network is attracting the youth market.

Course it may not be all about heatin' up the stove. The story quotes a 21-year-old Binghamton University student who says he and his buddies are into Giada De Laurentiis, the Everyday Italian host, and record her so they don't miss episodes. The same guy says he and his buddies are into the Food Network for cooking tips, too: "Any time a girl sees guys cooking something delicious, it definitely helps out."

Young women also are taking a greater interest in cooking, the article notes.

A Scripps Networks exec did say there were no plans to MTV-ize the Food Network.

Food for thought: Winning the youth audience isn't about the hokey features and dumbed-down content that often pass for "youth content." If cooking shows can attract a young audience, then lots of topics have the potential too -- with the right ingredients.

Tags: Giada De Laurentiis | Food Network | youth audience