Nickelodeon UK To Premiere Brand New "Big Time Rush" Episode "Big Time Moms" On 10th December 2011

According to the official Nickelodeon UK and Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK websites "What's On" schedule section for Nickelodeon UK's schedule for Saturday 10th December 2011, the second brand new episode of the hit Nickelodeon show "Big Time Rush" that Nickelodeon UK and Ireland and Nickelodeon UK HD will be airing in December 2011 will be the "Big Time Rush" episode "Big Time Moms", which Nick UK will broadcast on Nick UK and Ireland and Nick HD UK on Saturday 10th December 2011 and Sunday 11th December 2011 at 5.30pm (6.30pm on Nick Replay UK):

5:30pm New Big Time Rush Big Time Moms: James' mom arrives to bring him home to take over the family cosmetics company. The guys have to act fast to save the band, and stand up to a woman not used to being told "no".

The Official Nick Jr. UK And Ireland Website May Add More Episodes Of "A Bedtime Story" Soon

According to Nick Jr. Channel UK and Ireland on their official Twitter profile page (@NickJrUK), Nick Jr. UK and Ireland may start to add more streaming videos featuring the popular Nick Jr. Channel UK and Ireland show "A Bedtime Story", which Nick Junior shows week nights during Nick Jr's week night "Bedtime" programming block, to the official Nick Jr. UK and Ireland website, NickJr.co.uk, soon:

hi was just wondering if the episode of Jayne Torvill on A Bedtime Story will be put on YouTube/ available to watch again?

@NickJrUK - We may be able to show videos of A Bedtime Story on the nickjr.co.uk website in the near future. So keep checking.

And:

Do you know if the bedtime story with Jayne Torvill that was shown tonight will be repeated?

@NickJrUK - We may be able to show videos of A Bedtime Story on nickjr.co.uk in the near future so check back

And:

Have you seen #NickJrUK's I Love Art [also known as "I Heart Art" and "I ♥ Art"] videos? Children discuss their favourite paintings at the National Gallery http://on.nickjr.co.uk/wuwv.

The episodes of the Nick Jr. UK and Ireland short series "I Love Art" available to watch on the official Nick Jr. UK and Ireland websites official "Wake Up World" website include "I Love Art - Umbrellas", "I Love Art - Adoration of Kings", and "I Love Art - Surprise".

Nickelodeon USA Continues To Be Hit By It's Ratings Drop

From Reuters:

Nickelodeon's Ratings Drop -- and the Meanest Thing the Disney Channel's Ever Said

Nickelodeon is down in the ratings, and in the dark about why.

After 16 years of dominating children's television, the network finds itself in the midst of a mysterious ratings slide serious enough to drive concerns about its parent company's stock and prompt an investigation with Nielsen.

In just-released November ratings, Nickelodeon was down 19 percent year-over-year in ratings for viewers age 2 and older. In October, its ratings fell 13 percent.

Wall Street is paying attention: This week, one analyst downgraded his rating on Viacom stock from buy to neutral and the other lowered his target price slightly. Both cited Nickelodeon ratings declines.

Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman calls the slide "inexplicable" and an "aberration" -- but so far, a coordinated effort by the network and Nielsen to find some glitch that might explain it has come up empty.

At least one Nick rival doesn't buy the idea that there's anything wrong with the way Nielsen tracks childrens' ratings -- and poked fun at Dauman's choice of words.

"We don't think there's a glitch in kids ratings," the Disney Channel said in a statement to TheWrap. "The ratings strength of Disney Channel and Disney XD is 'inexplicable' to some but we are very clear on what's happening -- it's the popularity of our programming."

Could SpongeBob -- gulp -- just be getting old?

It's definitely not a case of kids spending more time on their homework: Preteen viewership is up overall. Through Nov. 20 of this TV season, an average of 5.8 million children between age 2 and 11 are watching television at any given minute, an increase of 1.7 percent over last season, Nielsen says.

Nick's slide comes at a particularly bad time: The last three months of the year are especially important to the network because of ads for holiday films and toys.

The stakes are also high because no cable network earns higher total-day ratings than Nick, whose closest rival is The Disney Channel. Both benefit from young audiences with plenty of spare time during the day -- and parents who use it as a plug-in babysitter.

Though it trails them in total-day viewing, the Cartoon Network is the third-most-watched kids' network after Nick and the Disney Channel, and has shared some of Nick's ratings woes. But in the latest monthly ratings it seems to be digging itself out, while Nickelodeon's latest numbers have only gotten worse.

Nick believes the problem could lie with Nielsen's sampling of its audience, and has worked with the company behind the scenes to examine several possibilities.

"We've been doing this for 30 years, and we've been No. 1 for 16, going on 17 years, with 2-to-11 year-olds. This is a short-term problem," Nickelodeon spokesman Dan Martinsen told TheWrap. "The bottom line is whatever has happened with the sample, this is what we're working with now."

He said the network still expects to finish the year as the top network among viewers age 2 to 11, and that the network plans 500 new episodes in the next few months to increase ratings. Its new shows include "Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness."

"We're moving more aggressively," he said.

Dauman said in a Nov. 10 earnings call that Nick's ratings are usually very predictable, and that set-top box data shows "meaningfully different viewership trends" than those Nielsen has recorded.

But Nielsen stands by its numbers. In a statement, it said it has worked with the network and the Media Rating Council, the industry's independent auditing organization, on an "exhaustive assessment" of its ratings.

"To date, the review process confirms that our measurement methodology, operations and related reporting processes are working as expected," it said.

Nick first noticed the drop in September. According to the latest numbers, Nick fell to an average 0.75 rating over each entire day in November, down from 0.91 in November of 2010. It reached about 1.4 million households this November, down from roughly 1.7 million in November of last year.

The Disney Channel posted a 4 percent year-over-year ratings increase in November, from 0.67 to 0.7. (Nick doesn't consider it a direct competitor since it isn't ad-supported.) The Cartoon Network was flat year-over-year in November, recovering somewhat from its own recent losses.

In October, Nick dropped 13 percent in the ratings while Disney gained 5 percent and the Cartoon Network dropped 12 percent. In September, Nick dropped 8 percent while Disney dropped 2 percent and Cartoon Network fell 5 percent.

The slide isn't a case of other networks eating Nick's lunch -- not all of it, anyway. Disney's small gains don't begin to account for Nick's losses. Neither does the fast growth of The Hub, which grew 40 percent year-over-year in November. (That isn't as impressive as it sounds when you consider that the growth reflects a ratings increase from 0.05 to 0.07, as the number of daily households grew from 56,000 to 76,000.)

Disney's XD, meanwhile, has posted ratings gains of 8 percent in October and 15 percent in November after a flat September. It climed to 223,000 households in November, up from 205,000 year-over-year.

On Monday, analyst David Joyce of Miller Tabak and Co. cut his rating on Viacom stock from "buy" to "neutral," citing the ratings pressure. On Wednesday, Nomura Securities' Michael Nathanson lowered his price target by $1, to $54 -- though he still rates the stock a "buy."

Viacom shares nonetheless climbed more than 5 percent Wednesday, fueled by the market's overall surge, to end the month of November at $44.76. At the end of August, three very volatile months ago, its shares were at $48.24.

Dauman will likely face more questions about the ratings drop when he speaks Monday at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference in New York City.

Nickelodeon and Nielsen have looked at a host of possible explanations for the slide. Among them are whether Nielsen's sampling may have been thrown off by Cablevision starting to require customers to begin using converters for all TVs.

They have also looked into whether Nielsen has measured Nickelodeon's Hispanic viewers accurately, and whether Nielsen may have replaced cable households with non-cable homes.

But nothing in the data collection explains the ratings slide.

The Official Nickelodeon UK Website Unveils Official Christmas 2011 Website

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like NickMas/NickelMas...

To celebrate Christmas On Nickelodeon UK and Ireland 2011, Nickelodeon UK's official website, Nick.co.uk, have unveiled Nickelodeon UK and Ireland's official Christmas 2011 website, which is packed full of Christmas-themed Nickelodeon video clips and festive online games.

Christmas-themed Nickelodeon video clips on the official Nickelodeon UK Christmas 2011 website include festive video clips from the "Big Time Rush" Christmas special episode "Big Time Christmas", the "iCarly" Christmas episode "iChristmas", the Christmas and Winter-themed episodes of "SpongeBob SquarePants" "Christmas Who?" and "The Snowball Effect", and the Christmas-themed episode of "True Jackson, VP" called "True Parade".

Christmas themed Nickelodeon online games on the official Nickelodeon UK Christmas 2011 website include the "Spongebob Squarepants" Christmas games "Viking Hiking" and "Avalanche at Planktons Peak", the "The Penguins of Madagascar" Christmas games "Arctic Boot Camp Blitz", "Skipper Skidoo", "Snowman Command", and "Operation Ice Fish", the "The Fairly OddParents" Christmas games "Jingle Bell Jump" and "Showdown at Santa's", the "Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh" Christmas game "Best Christmas Ever", the "iCarly" Christmas game "Christmas Stack-a-thon", and the Nickelodeon Christmas game "Ice to Heat you", which features various Nickelodeon characters from various hit Nickelodeon shows past and present (including 'Zoey Brooks' from "Zoey 101").

The official Nick Jr. UK and Ireland website, NickJr.co.uk, has also unveiled some Christmas video clips, including "Santa Claus Visits Peppa Pig" and "Peppa Pig visits Santa's grotto". The official Nick Jr. UK website has also unveiled a exclusive competition which Nick Jr. Channel UK and Nick Jr. 2 viewers and NickJr.co.uk website visitors can enter by colouring in a Christmas-themed picture of Dora The Explorer and Boots putting a Christmas star on top of a Christmas tree to be featured in NickJr.co.uk's "Dora's Christmas Gallery".

Posted by Nick Junior UK and Ireland on their official Twitter profile page (@NickJrUK):

If you missed the Christmas episodes of Peppa Pig you can watch videos of them on the #NickJrUK website http://on.nickjr.co.uk/ppcv

And:

The #NickJrUK has got very festive. Play Christmas games, watch Christmas videos and get festively creative http://on.nickjr.co.uk/njh

Also:

Watch a video clip from one of Dora's festive adventures; Dora's Christmas Carol [Dora The Explorer's Christmas eve party] http://on.nickjr.co.uk/dvc

Also, posted by Nickelodeon UK and Ireland on their official Twitter profile page (@NickelodeonUK):

Haha! Check out our brand new SpongeBob game Quirky Turkey, Christmas spongey is the best! http://ow.ly/i/nEfm http://ow.ly/81BLu (direct link)

Nickelodeon UK and Ireland and NickToons UK and Ireland have also started to use their Christmas Nickelodeon and NickToons on-air presentation, including a animated Christmas-themed Nickelodeon DOG (Digital On-screen Graphic)/BUG) featuring a 'Nick' Nickelodeon logo being wrapped and unwrapped in flashing/blinking fairy lights (Christmas tree lights), a NickToons BUG/DOG with a NickToons channel logo covered with snowflakes, and Nickelodeon's "Nickelodeon Stars Sing Jingle Bells" Christmas image campaign/Nickelodeon Christmas short from Christmas On Nickelodeon 2010.

Below are a selection of streaming videos featuring Nickelodeon UK and Ireland's Christmas presentation which Nickelodeon UK and Ireland are using on-air as part of Nick UK and Ireland's "Christmas on Nickelodeon UK and Ireland 2011" presentation:

Happy Holidays From Nickelodeon, featuring the cast of the popular Nickelodeon show "Victorious":



Nickelodeon Stars Sing The Jingle Bells Christmas Carol (featuring the casts from the popular Nickelodeon shows "iCarly", "Victorious", "SpongeBob SquarePants", "The Penguins of Madagascar", "The Fairly OddParents", "Big Time Rush", "Fanboy and Chum Chum", "Planet Sheen", "T.U.F.F. Puppy", and "True Jackson, VP"):



Happy Holidays From Nick (featuring NickToon characters (characters from original Nickelodeon animated series) from the casts from the popular original Nickelodeon animated shows "T.U.F.F. Puppy", "Fanboy and Chum Chum", and "The Penguins of Madagascar"):



Nickelodeon UK's Christmas Logos For Christmas 2011 On Nickelodeon UK And Ireland:



Happy Holidays From Big Time Rush, Seasons Greetings From Nickelodeon:



Happy Holidays From Nick (featuring NickToon characters (characters from original Nickelodeon animated series) from the casts from the popular original Nickelodeon animated shows "SpongeBob SquarePants", "Planet Sheen", and "The Penguins of Madagascar") - Wishing you peace, love, and... and KRABBY PATTY'S! (recorded and captured from Nickelodeon HD UK):

Nickelodeon UK's Kiaran Saunders Looks At The Changing Dynamic Of The UK Family And Its Effect On Toys

From Toy News:

Behind the Screen: November

Despite what some might believe, parents really do prioritise spending quality time with their children.

Undoubtedly we are all busier than ever – juggling the demands of work and home. But as a parent myself, I know the importance and value of creating precious moments with my children. However what is now becoming clear is that children themselves are increasingly influencing family decisions and it’s something brands and broadcasters should note.

Recent Nickelodeon research suggests families are becoming increasingly democratic and collaborative in their decision making. Two thirds of parents claim to include their children’s views in family decisions and the kids corroborate this. Mums and dads are also finding time to build closer relationships with their children. Two thirds of parents believe they are closer to their children than they were to their parents and over half of the same group cite their children as their best friends.
So how are families achieving this new dynamic, creating stronger relationships and acting more democratically, if they have less time?

The answer lies in quality. Families are being more selective and more demanding. They want products or experiences that they can share and enjoy together, the decision making is done collaboratively and significantly, they are placing added emphasis on the quality of their time together. Brands not only need to convince the whole family to choose them, but they need to meet expectations too.

Our research tells us that parents and kids agree that days out and watching TV together are the top two family activities. Games consoles, eating together and cinema trips are also very popular.

The fact that TV co-viewing is an important family time is a pleasing finding, but our viewing figures have told us for years that families watch our channels together in big numbers. Because of the changes in the family dynamic, we are more conscious than ever of the need to provide family experiences that meet expectations.

Our new series of Kung Fu Panda launching in November will have something for all ages and we know that families play our SpongeBob SquarePants games together. Our pre-school offering on Nick Jr., from Bubble Guppies to Team Umizoomi, is beautiful and engaging, but importantly both the programming and online games and activities have curriculum based development objectives at their heart.

Beyond on-air and online content, parents read Dora the Explorer books to their children, we have Nickelodeon Cruises around the Mediterranean and Nickelodeon Land at Pleasure Beach in Blackpool.

Throughout the development of these brand extensions we are aware that when winning the votes of both the kids and their families to spend time with us, we have a responsibility to meet their expectations and ensure that quality time is spent.

Thankfully, judging by the smiling faces in Blackpool, huge ratings growth for Nick Jr. and the healthy outlook for our consumer products portfolio, we can be sure that we are delivering.

Kiaran Saunders is Vice President (VP), Commercial Director at Nickelodeon UK.