Universal McCann Study: Controversy Draws Younger Olympic Viewers

LOS ANGELES–The controversy over pairs ice-skating at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City has increased already intense interest among TV viewers, but especially among younger watchers, a key target for the Olympics in 2002, according to an online study conducted by Interpublic Group of Cos. media network Universal McCann. The research found that 13 percent of viewers aged 13-24 intended to watch more of the Games because of the controversy, in which two gold medals were awarded, to the Russians and the Canadians, after questions were raised about judging bias that initially gave the gold only to the Russians.