People in their teens and 20's, who greatly outnumbered their elders, were overwhelmingly determined not to live up to their assigned demographic niche as cola-consuming, video-addled slackers.

Successful Plan in Detroit Catholic schools are also seeking, and finding, a new demographic niche.

Compulsive shoplifters do not fit into a single demographic niche, but they can usually afford what they steal and rarely need their booty, say those who study the condition.

WB's "Smallville" (5.66 million) and "Everwood" (4.35 million) continued to carve out a good demographic niche for that channel's younger-skewing programming.

Extreme pursuits of skateboarding and snowboarding have altered that demographic niche.

"A radio station can slice out a demographic niche based on music," Mr. Bell said.

A talented trailer cutter, of course, does more than fill his 150 seconds with images designed to appeal to demographic niches.

Marketing is being directed at demographic niches, and solemn references to AIDS have given way to a lighter tone.

It's easy to see how Ms. Jackson has gauged which radio formats and demographic niches each song should satisfy.

For the most part, these are not telling, New Yorkerish details that fix a character in his demographic niche.