TV's Alternate Reality: Nets Create Virtual Worlds

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NEW YORK The sun sinks into the ocean beneath an orange and pink sky as a pier fills up with a young, trendy crowd. For Laguna Beach fans, this is a familiar TV backdrop for the scripted reality show’s cast of cliquish and catty teenagers. Now, with a few swift strokes of the keyboard, anyone can be a part of it thanks to Virtual Laguna Beach, an online offshoot of the popular MTV series.

With network live ratings down 10 percent this year from fall 2006 and new competition in the form of social media attracting younger demos, the broadcasters have been looking for ways to both retain and grow their audience.

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