Christine Little
I’m sure most of
us had a favorite children's show while growing up, and most of us
remember watching cartoons on Saturday mornings. Between Nickelodeon, Disney
Channel, and Cartoon Network, it seems as though these networks are the ‘big
three’ children's channels on air today, and I’m sure a majority of us can name
at least one show from each we watched, or maybe some of us still watch these
channels or programming from these channels today. I know Cartoon Network has the
‘Adult Swim’ block of programming each night, and Disney likes to air movies
from the late 1990s-early 2000s around 3am every night. Nickelodeon, which has
at least 4 stations on my cable provider at home, has been on air since the
early 1990s, but is currently going through a rough patch.
From 2010-2012,
Nickelodeon’s ratings were suffering, despite all that was being done by the
channel to boost viewership. In an article
published by Brodcasting & Cable, Nickelodeon’s business strategies were:
aiming to win with tweens, ignite family position, expand the brand and
“supercharge key franchises.”
Nickelodeon President Cyma Zarghami stated, "every decision, every
investment, everything we've done for the
past few years serves at least one of these. It is listening to kids every day that has kept our business
successful, and it is our success that
has inspired us to expand our audience." In 2010, Nickelodeon debuted six new
series, and returned 16 series from previous years. The channel is looking to
expand to air programing for the whole family, and attempts to do so by having
programing blocks including Nick at Nite, TeenNick, Nicktoons, and Nick Jr –aiming
to appeal to different demographics on one channel. (Weprin)
It was speculated
that Nickelodeon was losing viewers to Netflix from 2011-2012. Peter Kafka
debated that it wasn’t true, as Netflix primarily hosted Nickelodeon content
not currently in production, such as the content we grew up with; and Viacom,
the parent company, felt as though Nielson wasn’t properly measuring the
channel. (Netflix Is Not Hurting
Nickelodeon Ratings) In 2012, Nickelodeon ratings fell 20%, and Disney
Channel became the highest rated network among the target demographic. (James)
However, even though more pre-teens have been watching more TV, according to
Sam Schechner, Nielson ratings indicated “kids are watching more non-kid
channels than they used to,” which shows how children may not even be as
interested in children’s media as they were years ago, but again, suspicions of
misreporting ratings were brought up. (TV Draws More Kids
but Nickelodeon Loses Viewers)
Poggi named
Nickelodeon one of the “Five Cable TV Networks to Watch in 2013” despite the
networks’ problems, which shows just how relevant Nickelodeon has managed to stay,
even 12 years after the channels’ arguable biggest hit, Spongebob Squarepants, reached its’ height of popularity. Spongebob still has high ratings, and is
a profitable franchise today, but in 2002 Spongebob
Squarepants was a cultural phenomenon. Despite being intended for children,
Spongebob held a monthly average of
18.6 million viewers in the 18-49 demographic. (Strauss)
Spinoff series
seem to be popular at Nickelodeon. Avatar
The Last Airbender debuted on Nickelodeon in 2005, and ran until 2008. It
spawned a movie, released in July 2010. (Weprin) A sequel series was also
developed, called The Legend of Korra,
which began airing in 2012. (IMDB) It seems as though Nickelodeon is setting up
Avatar to be the next big franchise of
the company. From what I have seen, many people in the 18+ demographic are
interested in the series. Despite never watching it myself, from my social
media, I can name various characters and explain certain plot points. Sam & Cat, a spinoff of two relatively
successful shows iCarly and Victorious, premiered on Nickelodeon in
2013. The reboot of 80s series Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles debuted to an audience of almost 4 million and has
kept an audience of around 3.4 million viewers per episode. (Poggi) The reboot
appeals to the nostalgic watchers of the original 1980s series, who may have
children of their own at this point, as well as a potential new audience.
In 2013, Disney
Channel was “the No. 2 basic cable network for the year”, beating out History,
TNT, and even ESPN. Nickelodeon did not make the list. (Kissell) During the
week of February 16, 2014, Disney was the third highest viewed cable network,
and among the 18-49 demographic, was 15th in prime-time viewership. However, on
February 16th, 2014 Nickelodeon was the cable channel with the
highest number of viewers (Bibel) According to the James article, on February
17, Nickelodeon debuted a new show, Breadwinnners,
originally a YouTube series, that the network executives are hoping will
continue to boost ratings. Both Disney and Nickelodeon are succeeding in their
target 2-11 demographic, but they are finding success outside of it, as well.
Works Cited:
Bibel, Sara. "TNT Wins Week With Cable
Primetime Adults 18-49 & Viewers; Nickelodeon Biggest Total Day Viewership
For Week Ending February 16, 2014." TVbytheNumbers. N.p., 19
Feb. 2014. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.
James, Meg. "Has Nickelodeon Found Its
New Bread Winner?" Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 07
Feb. 2014. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.
Kissell, Rick. "TBS, USA Lead the Way
Among Top-Rated Cable Nets of 2013." Variety 12 Dec.
2013. Web.
Netflix Is Not Hurting Nickelodeon Ratings. Perf. Peter Kafka. YouTube. Wall Street
Journal, 02 Feb. 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMK3fW_Jvp4
Poggi, Jeanine. "Five Cable TV
Networks to Watch in 2013." Advertising Age. 28
Dec. 2012. Web.
Strauss, Gary. "Life's Good for
SpongeBob." USA Today, 17 May
2002. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.
"The Legend of Korra." IMDb.
IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.
TV Draws More Kids but Nickelodeon Loses
Viewers. Perf. Sam Schechner. Wall Street Journal,
29 Nov. 2011. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. http://live.wsj.com/video/tv-draws-more-kids-but-nickelodeon-loses-viewers/62E3A429-2EDD-4ED4-A4D9-011D26FF4917.html
Weprin, Alex. "Upfronts 2010:
Nickelodeon Looks to The Future With Five Pillar Strategy." Cable
Television News, Broadcast, Syndication, Programming & Local TV.
Broadcasting & Cable, 11 Mar. 2010. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.
by Heather Madore
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I would like to say that I very much enjoyed reading your post. I think looking at children and tween programming is always very fascinating, at least from a sociological standpoint, since in a digital age like this one, a lot of TV programs end up as baby-sitters for younger children.
I don’t often look at cable ratings, and it didn’t exactly occur to me until reading your post that children’s networks might be failing. I agree that Cartoon Network, Nick, and Disney are the ‘big three’ in children’s programming, which it why it comes as a shock to hear that Nick isn’t doing as well in the ratings as it has in the past.
When looking at the types of shows that Nick competes with, such as “The Walking Dead” and “Duck Dynasty”, who have 16 million and 13 million viewers respectively (Kissel), I guess it’s not that surprising that they can’t really compete. I know people of all ages who watch “The Walking Dead” and “Duck Dynasty,” ranging from 60-70 years old to 15 years old. Thinking about it logically, it does make sense that they would get higher ratings because they appeal to a larger audience. The average 18-49 year old, which is the key demographic that advertisers look at, probably wouldn’t be able to name a show currently on Nick’s primetime line up.
I do think that breaking up the channel is better for the network. With TeenNick and Nick JR. being their own channels, viewers who like that programming can tune in all day, rather than just at the blocked off time in the day designated for those programs. This fulfills a niche in their market. Also, with the introduction of their ‘90s are All That’ line-up, I do think there has at least been some buzz about TeenNick. As you mentioned with the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” nostalgia factor, I think that a lot of their target audience can still remember shows in this 90s block, but also their older siblings, who may be slightly older than the target audience, would be just as likely to stop and watch half an hour of “Kenan and Kel” or “All That.” I know I would.
I would tend to agree with Poggi when she calls Nickelodeon a channel to watch in 2013. I’m not sure whether the ratings actually were better, but I think the show “Sam and Cat” might be good for the network. As Poggi mentioned, “iCarly” and “Victorious” were getting stale (Poggi). The network tends to run tween sitcoms that are essentially the same thing over and over. Dan Schneider created all three shows, along with “Drake and Josh.” When you have the same writer on your whole line up, then either the whole line up should be a success or a fail. It doesn’t give you as much room for error. However, I think Ariana Grande’s star power is something to consider. Personally, I would call her one of the most successful, if not the most successful Nick star ever. Kids, tweens, teens, and young adults love her, and she’s legitimately talented. Although “Sam and Cat” is a spin-off and uses the same “Stale” characters, I feel as though many teens would tune in just to see Ariana. I predict that if the writers play their cards right and don’t fall into the same recycled jokes that we’ve already seen on five other sitcoms on the network, “Sam and Cat” could be a success for the network and get their primetime numbers up.
Works Cited
Kissell, Rick. "TBS, USA Lead the Way Among Top-Rated Cable Nets of 2013." Variety 12 Dec. 2013. Web.
Poggi, Jeanine. "Five Cable TV Networks to Watch in 2013." Advertising Age. 28 Dec. 2012. Web.
Christine,
ReplyDeleteYour post brings up some really interesting point. It makes sense that children’s cable networks want to expand their target demographic, as I assume all networks would like to do. As you mentioned, most of us probably can remember back to when we were kids growing up watching these cable networks like Disney and Nickelodeon. The issue for these networks is does it have the same appeal for the younger generations. The issue they need to confront is the in transformation of audience behaviors and by doing so they need to broaden their range of appeal to attract more demographics.
In theory, channels dedicated to programming for children are a great idea. There is always going to be kids, so there is always going to be an audience. Kids don’t work so they are available to watch television. The only issue is trying to keep up with the networks that have the popularity and appeal among a much broader scope of ages.
Children’s networks probably realize that the future may not play out like the past, and younger audiences may actually start to merge with older mature audiences. But to only focus on expanding your demographic might be foolish if you lose what audience you already had in the process.
I agree with your isolation of three major children’s networks. Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network are the big three that dominate children’s television. But with there being three networks all aiming to appeal to similar demographics, it is no surprise that there will be competition to win over audiences. In the year 2012, Nickelodeon “finished the year still tops among its competitive set for total viewers, but the Disney Channel won among viewers 2 to 11 years old, breaking a 17-year streak for Nickelodeon.” (Poggi) It looks like the competition for target audiences is still of high importance to the big children’s networks.
From what I can see, it looks like children’s networks have been successful in appealing to more demographics. In 2013, Disney emerged as “No. 2 basic cable for the year in total viewers with 2.49 million.” (Kissell) But that doesn’t mean these children’s networks don’t have obstacles to overcome. Industry analysts “have blamed Nickelodeons ratings declines on the availability of Nick programming through streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu.” (Poggi) CEO of parent company Viacom has refuted these claims of blaming digital streaming services saying they have minimal impact on the ratings. (Poggi) Although the ratings might not have been because of streaming services, the fact remains that ratings were still in decline.
To try and fix this decline, “Nickelodeon bas increased its investment in new programming.” (Poggi) I think that new programming is essential to expanding audiences because each new show could have potential appeal to different select demographics. New programming is where the focus of children’s entertainment industry should be, but also keeping and promoting the big shows that already attract large audiences.
When we take a second to think about it, television audiences are changing. Big shows have viewers ranging from teenagers to adults, and we with new devices we see new ways to access to content. Children’s television has seen some obstacles, but it looks to me that they have figured out the right strategies to navigate their way to expanded audiences and higher ratings.
Works Cited
Kissell, Rick. "TBS, USA Lead the Way Among Top-Rated Cable Nets of 2013." Variety 12 Dec. 2013. Web.
Poggi, Jeanine. "Five Cable TV Networks to Watch in 2013." Advertising Age. 28 Dec. 2012. Web.
Has anyone actually watched any of the programming on Nickelodeon recently? Not counting Nick Jr., it seems like they are riding entirely on “aging shows like SpongeBob Squarepants and iCarly (Poggi). Of course, these shows were very popular for a long time, especially SpongeBob, which was a “phenomenon” of a franchise across the world. Christine mentions how Nickelodeon has attempted to bring back some shows like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to help them regain some ratings and ideas like that might help them regain some viewership. She also mentions how “Nickelodeon’s business strategies were: aiming to win with tweens, ignite family position, expand the brand and “supercharge key franchises.” If Nickelodeon brought back some of its most popular shows from the 1990’s like Doug, Rugrats, All That and Angry Beavers they can gain more viewership while sticking to their business plan. The only thing bringing back these former successful shows will not cover will be “expanding the brand”. If Nickelodeon can come up with a franchise series for Nick, Nick Jr. and/or Teen Nick and have it on around the times they are airing the throwback shows they could see a big change in their numbers. It sounds corny but if I am flipping through the channels and see Ah! Real Monsters, or Hey Arnold on there is a very good chance I will get nostalgic and watch them.
ReplyDeleteNickelodeon has a lot of work to do to catch up with the likes of USA and TBS, which are the leaders in ad-supported cable channels and have been for nearly a decade (Kissell). I do like the idea that for a long time they had one network and would change their target audience according to the time of the day but that just will not work anymore. By splitting the network up you know exactly who you are trying to target and will get some consistency. Parents of young children can put their child in front of Dora the Explorer on Nick Jr. before dinner. Teens can catch an episode of iCarly while they get ready for school on Teen Nick. The whole family (if they enjoy cartoons) may be able to gather around and watch some old fashioned Nick Toons if they brought them back. The network is going to have to come up with something because it has ridden the SpongeBob wagon for entirely too long. If they can come up with another franchise that has potential to be half as popular as SpongeBob Squarepants was they may be able to recover many of their former viewers. Also by doing so they may be able to make a lineup that is appealing to not just kids but their parents as well.
WORKS CITED
Kissell, Rick. "TBS, USA Lead the Way Among Top-Rated Cable Nets of 2013." Variety 12 Dec. 2013. Web
Poggi, Jeanine. "Five Cable TV Networks to Watch in 2013." Advertising Age. 28 Dec. 2012. Web.
Hey Christine, I liked your article. What stuck to me the most was the idea that cartoons, long believed to be made only for children, are finding an audience way outside what they expected. I know I loved cartoons as a kid, I would watch Hey Arnold and Spongebob constantly, but what I’m shocked most about these programs is how surprisingly well they hold up after over a decade. I recently watched an episode of Spongebob and loved it, and I don’t think that’s the nostalgia talking. These programs hold up because they almost don’t even seem to be made for children, they’re just really funny and happen to be appropriate for children, with no explicit content. Although cartoons used to be thought of as a niche market, made only for children, we know that’s not true anymore. The Simpsons and Family Guy became mainstream powerhouses and are still on the air today. Even recent cartoons like Bob’s Burgers, Rick and Morty, and Archer are very popular, and gaining a larger and broader audience despite not being what is typically thought to be an adult like show. It’s a testament to the quality of the 90’s cartoons that these recent programs were able to be made and that their creators weren’t laughed out the building at the pitch meetings. Nickelodeon’s block of children’s programming and Fox’s animation block proved that cartoons can become cultural phenomena, not to mention massive money makers. Those 90’s cartoons had a shocking amount of crossover appeal, and it’s time we start viewing cartoons the same way we view any other programs.
ReplyDeleteThose recent examples I listed before are made with adults and families in mind though. Rick and Morty especially, as it airs on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block of programming. Archer features an alcoholic spy messing up missions. Bob’s Burgers, although more family friendly then the other two, does heavily imply that the title character tried cocaine at least once, and liked it. That doesn’t mean that children’s cartoons are reaching the same crossover appeal as in the 90’s though. I can think of at least two children’s programs that have found a larger audience outside their original target demographic. One of them you mentioned already: The Legend of Korra is the sequel series to Avatar: The Last Airbender, and is reaching broad appeal, which is part of the reason Nickelodeon is still thought to be a big cable channel to look out for (Poggi). Adventure Time is a cartoon network series that has also managed to reach a big audience, despite being made with kids in mind. The series is about a young boy going on adventures, but is set in a post war world, and he’s the last human. That set up has a lot of dark undertones going on in the background, and it pops up in the series every now and then.
Finally, I wanted to talk about animated movies, which I think pair along with cartoons in the sense that they are often thought to be made for kids. But how is it then that a movie like Toy Story 3 became a massive blockbuster if only children saw it? Movies Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen are talked about frequently on this campus. In fact, Wreck-It Ralph and Monsters University rank in the top ten DVD/Bluray sales of 2013 (Tops of 2013: Entertainment). Yet, those movies were made for children and happened to find crossover appeal. There aren’t many animated movies made for adults, feature length equivalents to Archer and Rick and Morty. Although television cartoons have broken the mold (or at least dented it) of redefining how cartoons can appeal to adults, movies still suffer that same stigma.
DeleteWorks Cited
Poggi, Jeanine. "Five Cable TV Networks to Watch in 2013." Adage.com. Advertising Age, 28 Dec. 2012. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. .
"Tops of 2013: Entertainment." Nielsen.com. Nielson, 13 Dec. 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. .
Walsh, Mark. "Instagram Fastest-Growing App Among Top 10 In 2013." Media Post News. 17 Jan. 2014. Web.
ReplyDeleteO'Neill, Mark. "Vine Continues Growth Despite Challenge from Instagram." Small Business Trends 15 Jan. 2014. Web.
Victoria Cribbs
Chris, I definitely agree with everything you said. I definitely think that the fitness industry has exploded on social media. I know personally I follow a lot of fitness inspired pages, mainly on Instagram rather than Twitter. I think a lot of people are starting to follow these pages, especially on Instagram which I think accounts for part of the app’s 36% growth, (Walsh). It is so easy to just go on Instagram and find easy and doable workouts that do not require a gym membership or even any equipment. Social media these days is making workouts, fitness tips, and recipes on eating healthier readily available to a larger population. The fitness industry is benefiting greatly from this trend. Often time’s people get pulled in to fitness through these pictures and videos on Instagram, and they fall in love with fitness and want to dive deeper into the industry in order to grow and develop more.
ReplyDeleteIn the article that discusses the social media apps Vine and Instagram, the author points out how Vine’s growth has slowed since the introduction of videos on Instagram, (O’Neil). I definitely believe that by introducing videos, Instagram has added even more of an advantage for the fitness industry. Every time I log on to Instagram, my feed is filled with pictures and videos from fitness accounts. The popular page, which shows pictures and videos from users you may not follow but are, acquiring thousands of likes all over the world in just minutes, also is covered in pictures and videos of exercise tips. These videos offer true visuals for exercises. Seeing someone perform the exercises gives the viewer a better grasp on the moves and can also lead the person checking Instagram to try differing variations.
Overall, I think that the fitness industry is definitely benefiting from social media and can definitely use it to their advantage. With the growth of social media apps and users for Instagram, the fitness industry would be stupid not to focus a lot of their time and energy on coming up with ways to utilize the wide audiences they can now reach for almost nothing.