Nickelodeon Celebrates Another Year at the Top Spot, Leads Basic Cable Pack by +58% in Total Programming Day

Nickelodeon Celebrates Another Year at the Top Spot, Leads Basic Cable Pack by +58% in Total Programming Day

Network Has Best Year Ever with 'Tweens, Owning the Top Five Live Action 'Tween Shows on All Television

New Show Launches in 2005 - Go, Diego, Go!, Zoey 101 and Catscratch - Rise to the Top

30 of TV's Top 30 Kids' Programs and Top Five Preschool Shows Owned by Nickelodeon

NEW YORK, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- As it heads towards the 11th year as basic cable's number-one net in total programming day, Nickelodeon closes 2005 in first place among all kids' demos (kids 2-5, kids 2-11, kids 6-11 and tweens 9-14) and total viewers (P2+). Nick finishes this year owning the top 30 out of 30 kids shows (K2-11) on all broadcast and basic cable television, including the top five live action 'tween series, and the top five preschool shows. According to Nielsen Media Research, for the year (12/27/04-12/11/05), Nick averaged a 3.8/1.2 million for Kids 2-11; 4.2/520,000 with Kids 2-5; 3.6/710,000 for Kids 6-11; and 2.6/523,000 among tweens 9-14, ahead of competitors Cartoon Network and Disney by +58% (Cartoon: 2.4/774,000 K2-11; Disney: 2.4/747,000 K2-11).

This year marks Nick's best year ever with tweens 9-14, with a +8% growth over tween ratings for 2004. Averaging a 2.6/523,000 T9-14 delivery for the year, Nick had the biggest year-to-year growth with tweens among basic cable and broadcast competition. Nick outpaced Disney by 44% (1.8/346,000 tween 9-14 year-to-date) and Cartoon by 53% (1.7/329,000 tween 9-14 year-to-date) among the demo. Year-to-date (12/27/04 - 12/11/05) Nick owns the top five live action tween series on all of television. Among all programs on television, Zoey 101 ranked third among regularly scheduled programming on all of TV behind American Idol and Survivor: Palau.

Nick's growth in the 'tween demo can be attributed to the TEENick Saturday and Sunday blocks, which have both shown double-digit, year-to-year ratings increases. TEENick Saturday averaged a 4.3/864,000 among tweens 9-14, up +13%; while TEENick on Sunday averaged a 4.5/897,000 rating, up +29%. Season-to-date (10/1/05-12/11/05), TEENick Saturday featuring Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (8 p.m.) and Drake & Josh (8:30 p.m.), has posted a +24% rating gain with a 4.7/943,000 tweens 9-14 rating. In its third season, Drake & Josh posted a 5.9/1.2 million, up +44%, while the second season of Ned's posted a 5.2/1.1 million, up +41%.

TEENick Sunday, featuring Unfabulous, Zoey 101 and Romeo!, has earned a 5.0/1.0 million tweens 9-14 rating for the season to-date (9/11/05-12/11/05), up +14%. In their sophomore seasons, Unfabulous (7:30 p.m.) earned a 5.7/1.2 million tweens 9-14, up +10%, while Zoey 101 (8 p.m.) posted a 6.6/1.3 million, up +35%, and Romeo! (8:30 p.m.) earned a 4.9/977,000 T9-14, +20% over last year's like timeperiod.

Nickelodeon's 2005 performance-to-date was marked by a number of innovative, popular programming elements such as brand-new shows emerging as top programs in their demos and highly successful programming events such as the 18th Annual Kids' Choice Awards and specials. Highlights and details of the network's year-to-date performance include:

-- Nick Jr. Block: Nick owns all of the top five preschool programs on TV
for 2005: Go, Diego, Go!; Dora the Explorer; Blue's Clues; The
Backyardigans; and LazyTown. In addition, Nick owns the top 50
highest rated kids' shows on commercial TV for kids 2-5.
Year-to-date, ratings for the Nick Jr. block (6.0/739,000 K2-5)
outpaces Cartoon Network (2.5/312,000 K2-5) and Disney (2.5/307,000)
by 140%.

Go, Diego Go! is number-one for kids 2-5 among all Nick Jr. programs
since its premiere in the Nick Jr. block on September 6, 2005. Go,
Diego, Go! posted a 7.7/951,000 among kids 2-5 in its weekday,
9:30 a.m. telecast (as of 11/1/05-12/11/05), up +17% in rating versus
the prior year. Year-to-date, Go, Diego, Go! is the number-one
preschool show on TV followed by Dora the Explorer.

Dora the Explorer is still beloved by preschoolers, averaging a
6.9/853,000 K2-5 at the end of the year (averaged based on 11/1/05-
12/11/05). Blue's Clues earned a 6.8/842,000 K2-5 average at year
end, +3% versus a year ago. The Backyardigans ended the year with a
6.7/830,000 average, and LazyTown earned a 6.0/737,000 with
preschoolers 2-5.

-- New Program Launches

-- Year-to-date, Catscratch is the third highest regularly scheduled
animated series on all of TV among kids 2-11, behind SpongeBob
SquarePants and The Fairly OddParents, making it the highest
ranked of all the new animated series that premiered this year
among kids 2-11. During Friday Night Slimetime (9/23/05-
12/11/05), the show (7:30 p.m.) averages a 5.0/1.6 million
K2-11, up + 16% versus last year's like time period.

-- Year-to-date, Avatar is the third highest regularly scheduled
animated series on all of TV among boys 2-11, behind The Fairly
OddParents, then SpongeBob SquarePants. This makes it the
highest ranked of all the new animated series' that premiered
this year among boys 2-11. During Friday Night Slimetime, the
show averages a 4.5 /1.5 million K2-11, and 5.5/920,000 boys
2-11, + 8% over last year within that particular demo.

-- Major Programming Events

-- Dora's Pirate Adventure is the series' highest-rated special
ever. "Dora's Pirate Adventure," which aired Monday, Jan. 17,
from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET/PT, averaged a 12.5/1.5 million kids 2-5
and 3.4 million persons 2+ in total viewers. The record ratings
for "Dora's Pirate Adventure" make it the third highest-rated
Nick Jr. special ever to air, ranking behind two top-rated
Blue's Clues episodes.

-- Nickelodeon's 18th Annual Kids' Choice Awards: The live telecast
on Saturday, April 2, (8-9:30 p.m. ET) earned top honors as the
number-one primetime program on all broadcast television with
kids and tweens, and the top cable primetime program for the
week of Mar. 28 - Apr. 3. The star-studded event garnered
3.1 million kids 2-11, 5.2 million total viewers (P2+), and
attracted more kid 6-11 viewers than any Kids' Choice Awards
show in history. Tweens also tuned in full force, with a
10.4/2.1 million tween viewers, one of the highest ratings for
the Kids' Choice Awards (with tweens 9-14) in three years.

-- Danny Phantom: The Ultimate Enemy: More than 4 million total
viewers tuned into Danny Phantom: The Ultimate Enemy on Friday,
Sept. 16, 8-9 p.m. ET/PT, which won its time period with all
kids and tweens for all broadcast and cable television. With
kids 2-11, the special averaged a 7.6/2.5 million K2-11, it
triumphed with kids 6-11, averaging an 8.9/1.8 million K6-11,
and with tweens 9-14, he scored an impressive +66% increase over
last year, earning a 7.6/1.5 million T9-14.

-- SpongeBob SquarePants "Where's Gary?" The half-hour special
episode of SpongeBob SquarePants "Where's Gary" on Friday,
Nov. 11, marked the highest-rated program on all TV with kids
2-11 for the year behind the SuperBowl and the SuperBowl
kick-off, and the highest-rated play on all of cable with kids
2-11 and kids 6-11 in 2005. "Where's Gary" was the highest-rated
episode of SpongeBob ever with kids 6-11. "Where's Gary"
triumphed with kids 6-11, averaging a 17.4/3.4 million K6-11, up
+177% versus year-ago levels.

Nickelodeon, now in its 26th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 89 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for more than ten consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

Nickelodeon Programming Hours: M-Th: 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri: 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sat: 6 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun: 6 a.m.-9 p.m. (ET)

Source: Nickelodeon

CONTACT: Joanna Roses, +1-212-846-7326, or Nancy Hostler,
+1-212-846-7491, both of Nickelodeon

Web site: http://www.nick.com/

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