Nielsen Media Research has magically rediscovered all the 18-34 year old males that were reported to have abandoned TV. Of course, this factoid set off a firestorm of handwringing and recrimination. Fortune Magazine told us about the "Nightmare on Madison Avenue" and just this month Wired Magazine was writing about "the lost boys."

Despite a double-digit drop in ratings last fall among members of this critical demo, Nielsen now reports that we are back to standard numbers. The broadcast networks, which stood to lose a lot of money, have been blasting Nieslen's methodology over the past year. They feel vindicated.

"It kind of went right back to where God intended it to be," the president for research for NBC, Alan Wurtzel, said. "None of this made conceptual sense. Usage numbers move glacially. Double-digit declines just don't happen."

Nielsen, which is holding its ground and defending its methodology, merely claims that the boys have returned -- largely to watch poker on the tube. Which is ironic. Harrah's provides much of the content and even gets paid by ESPN to do so. And Harrah's CEO Gary Loveman has said, "Broadcasting an ad on television or in a newspaper is admitting you have no idea who your customers are."