Crisis at Comedy Central: Audience for Stewart, Colbert is getting older

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are Comedy Central's answer to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. But the fact that many of their fans know the classic 1969 Paul Newman-Robert Redford film may worry officials at the channel's corporate parent, Viacom Inc. (VIA).

According to Forbes.com, the average age of viewers of The Daily Show rose five years to in May 41.4 years while the The Colbert Report attracted an audience with an average age of 38.3, according to data compiled by Nielsen. Viewership in the key 18 to 34 demographic fell 10 percent. Overall, viewership is up nine percent.

For New York-based Viacom, this is bad news.