Nickelodeon is prepared to provide make goods
to advertisers due to double-digit ratings declines
in the fourth quarter, even as the kids-targeted network
works with Nielsen to confront
the discrepancy.
A Nickelodeon spokesman
said the network will look to
offer advertisers free time to
make up for the network’s double-
digit decline among total
viewers and its target kids
2-11 demo thus far during the
fourth quarter.
“We’re operating business
as usual, and make-goods are
sometimes part of that business,” said the spokesman.
“To the extent that we have to, we absolutely will.”
The spokesman would not confi rm whether the network
has already compensated any advertisers for the poor ratings
performance.
The Viacom-owned kids-TV giant continues to work
with Nielsen to determine if technical problems led to
the unusually high viewership declines. Viacom CEO
Philippe Dauman had called Nick’s double-digit ratings
decline since mid-September “inexplicable” and an
“anomaly.”
November ratings released last week showed continued
declines at Nick. While its 1.9 million total viewers
was tops among all ad-supported
basic-cable networks over a
24-hour basis, Nickelodeon
lost 417,000 viewers compared
to the same period last year,
according to Nielsen. Among
kids 2-11, the network suffered
an 18% decline to 1.08 million
viewers from 1.31 million in
November 2010.
That follows a 13% and 15%
decline in October among total
viewers and kids 2-11 respectively.
Nick competitors posted November gains, but not
enough to account for the falloff . Disney Channel added
23,000 viewers among kids 2-11, and Discovery/Hasbro-
owned The Hub added 14,000 in the demo. Cartoon
Network had a 3% decline in the demo during the month,
while boys-targeted Disney XD posted flat viewership,
per Nielsen.
