PERFORMANCE/SCHEDULE ANALYSIS
(Updated as of July 21, 2009)
CURRENT AND SIGNATURE PROGRAMS:
16 AND PREGNANT (REALITY)
A look at real life "Junos" - girls who are in high school, but pregnant.
Status: Premiered on June 11, 2009, 6 x 60. Executive produced by Morgan J. Freeman.
AMERICA'S BEST DANCE CREW (COMPETITION)
Teams of dance crews compete to see which one is the best.
Status: New season ordered
DADDY'S GIRLS (SCRIPTED REALITY)
RUN'S HOUSE spin-off in which sisters Angela and Vanessa move to Los Angeles to launch their own clothing line.
Status: Season 2 premieres on August 11th
DEGRASSI (SCRIPTED DRAMA)
Series about teenagers in high school and the drama as they face obstacles such as drugs, STDs and violence.
Status: Premiered in June. Acquired from Nickelodeon's The N.
DJ AND THE FRO (SCRIPTED COMEDY)
Scripted comedy about two office workers who swap viral videos.
Status: Premiered in June. 20X30
THE HILLS (SCRIPTED REALITY)
Reality show that follows the story of college student Lauren Conrad as she navigates Hollywood, her career, and her relationships.
Status: Re-runs currently airing.
I'M A CELEBRITY...GET ME OUT OF HERE! (CELEBREALITY)
Features Celebrities competing in strange situations in the Costa Rican jungle. Airs and is cross-promoted on NBC and MTV.
Status: Premiered on June 1 on NBC. Beginning on June 7, MTV airs the previous week's episodes in a marathon, as well as exclusive new footage. Produced by Granada America.
MADE (REALITY)
With the help of a Made Coach, someone attempts to be made into something (an athlete, prom queen, etc) that is as far from the current person they are as can possibly be.
Status: Currently airing.
MAKING THE BAND (COMPETITION)
Sean Combs oversees the creation of the hottest new band.
Status: New season (MAKING HIS BAND) premiered July 27.
MY SUPER SWEET 16 (REALITY)
An inside look at some of the most lavish sweet 16 parties imaginable.
Status: Currently off the air
NITRO CIRCUS (REALITY)
Jeff Tremaine and Johnny Knoxville, producers of MTV's Jackass serves up a series showcasing freestyle motocross rider Travis Pastrana. The series watches Travis and his buddies as they try to outdo each other with daring stunts.
Status: Premiered February 8, 2009. Produced by Dickhouse Productions and Godfrey Entertainment.
REAL WORLD (REALITY)
A group of strangers (and seemingly endless booze) picked to live in a house and have their lives taped. The upcoming season will take place in Cancun, Mexico.
Status: Premiered June 24, 2009. Produced by Bunim-Murray Productions
ROB DYRDEK'S FANTASY FACTORY (COMPETITION)
A behind-the-scenes look at Rob Drydek's skateboard empire.
Status: Premiered in February. Re-runs and a best-of show currently airing.
RUN'S HOUSE (SCRIPTED REALITY)
Series follows the family of Rev Run formely of rap group RUN DMC.
Status: Currently airing.
TAKING THE STAGE (REALITY)
Created by Nick Lachey and Colton Gramm, this show follows talented high schoolers from Cincinnati's School for the Creative and Performing Arts as they pursue dreams of fame.
Status: Premiered on March 19th, 2009, currently airing. 10 x 60.
THE PHONE (COMPETITION)
Based on a dutch reality show, THE PHONE will follow two people who must complete challenges while only talking to each other on cell phones.
Status: Premiered on April 20, 2009. Executive Produced by Justin Timberlake, based on a Dutch Reality Game show from Park Lane Productions.
TRUE LIFE (DOCUMENTARY SERIES)
Series documenting young adults who struggle with some sort of obstacle in their life. (Ranging from poverty, to working in the sex industry, to living on Staten Island, among others.)
Status: New and old episodes currently airing during prime-time and daytime.
JUNE 2009 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
TOP PRIMETIME SHOWS:
16 AND PREGNANT, PARIS HILTONS: MY NEW BFF, REAL WORLD XXII, RUNS HOUSE, HONEY, TERMINATOR 2, TRUE LIFE, SCREAM 3, WORLDS STRICTEST PARENTS, SCHOOL FOR SCOUNDRELS
SCHEDULING STRATEGIES:
MTV's schedule is constantly changing. They usually have at least 3 nights of primetime first-run programs, while the other nights are either re-runs or other specials. Lately, they've been occasionally filling gaps by showing feature films relevant to their audience. The timeslots leading up to premieres are usually a marathon of episodes of weeksâ€(Tm) past. They rely on a lot of repetition in the form of marathons, especially on the weekends. They also make good use of tent poling by scheduling old reliables like THE HILLS and THE REAL WORLD at 10pm and new, untested content at 10:30 or 11pm.
UPCOMING PREMIERES:
DADDY'S GIRLS will premiere on August 11, 2009
STARMAKER will premiere on August 16, 2009
HOUSE OF JAZMIN will premiere on August 18, 2009
MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS will premiere on September 13, 2009
GONE TOO FAR will premiere on October 5, 2009
RATINGS ANALYSIS:
Live Primetime Ratings Comparison:
July 2009 vs. July 2008 (% Change)
H'hold M18-49 F18-49 P18-49
Monday 8-11pm 0% 33% 18% 22%
Tuesday 8-11pm -38% -45% -37% -40%
Wednesday 8-11pm 0% -8% 12% 7%
Thursday 8-11pm 25% -8% 42% 19%
Friday 8-11pm 14% 33% 44% 43%
Saturday 8-11pm -13% 17% 10% 13%
Sunday 8-11pm 0% -25% 44% 11%
MTWTFSS 8-11pm 0% -11% 7% 9%
*The Nielsen Company's National Television Audience Sample
June at MTV was the beginning of a process to revamp the schedule and try to restore the network's once record-setting ratings. As compared to this time last year, overall numbers are down, but several new programs have given the network a glimmer of hope and reassurance that they are heading in the right direction with the new content.
Keeping Mondays afloat is RUNS HOUSE, which on its 6th season is a program that continues to do well for MTV. The show follows the family of Rev Run, once a member of the legendary rap group RUN DMC. It is a lighthearted, wholesome and positive program and for this reason Monday nights are up 20% among people 18-49 as compared to this time last year.
On the other hand, the new season of reality competition PARIS HILTON'S MY NEW BFF airing on Tuesdays has registered below average for MTV. This perhaps proves that MTV viewers are looking for more substance in their programming.
This is clearly evidenced by the popularity of 16 AND PREGNANT, which is the biggest series success MTV has seen in months. It has been scorring above average share for the network even on 2nd and 3rd runs and because of the program, Thursday nights are up 29% in share among female viewers. This emotionally charged docu-drama that follows teenage couples as they cope with unexpected pregnancies is undoubtebly very different from the highest rated MTV program this time last year, A SHOT OF LOVE WITH TILA TEQUILA. This is because since then, a lot has changed for MTV and its audience. Booze and debauchery have started to be replaced with heartfelt personal stories and serious drama.
The network has already responded by renewing 16 AND PREGNANT and announcing new programs that address teen struggles and problems like ASK ELIZABETH and GONE TOO FAR (see In Development page for more information). CableU predicts that this trend towards more meaningful and optimistic programming will continue to work and MTV will begin rolling out more programming with a positive message.
Although MTV has suffered in the ratings lately, what will always carry them through is their ability to adapt to changing times and come up with relevant content sometimes at a moments notice. Before Michael Jackson's death was even officially announced, the network switched to news network mode reporting live on the story, airing Jackson music videos, interviewing celebrities live and digging up old footage of Jackson interviews and appearances. This ability to turn around on a moment's notice and follow the audience is what has and will continue to keep MTV at the top.
If MTV continues to invest in new specials similar to previous successes like MICHAEL JACKSON: A TRIBUTE and MTV MOVIE AWARDS and more new series with less alcohol and more wholesome optimism, they should be able to make a swift comeback in the ratings in the coming months.
PROGRAM ACQUISITIONS:
I'M A CELEBRITY... GET ME OUT OF HERE airs and is cross-promoted on MTV and NBC. Also, in June, MTV aired feature films like Scream 3, Honey, Summer Catch, Can't Hardly Wait
PROGRAM RENEWALS:
MTV has ordered new seasons of THE HILLS, THE REAL WORLD, RW/RR CHALLENGE, RUN'S HOUSE, FANTASY FACTORY, NITRO CIRCUS, AMERICA'S BEST DANCE CREW, 16 AND PREGNANT, IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM?, SILENT LIBRARY and TEEN CRIBS.
PROGRAM CANCELLATIONS:
No recent announcements.
