A Look at Kids' TV & Set-Top Box use.

A collaborative group that's looking into how to better measure TV viewing (or use) in a multi-device, connected, environment, took a small detour to look at what's happening in the world of Kids & TV.  Pooling data from three different ratings sources over a 13 month period, they looked at several viewing metrics, and a variety of times of day.  While there was some incompatability with the three sources, they were close enough to allow some general conclusions.

1. Viewing by kids is either shrinking or growing. In terms of ratings, kids' viewing declined slightly in the M-F daytime and Weekend afternoon dayparts, and more or less stable in Weekend mornings.  Rentrak "impressions" showed slight gains in M-F daytime and Weekend mornings, and a smaller gain in Weekend afternoons.  Their conclusion was that there was a slight overall shrinkage in the "children's network ecosystem."
2. Nickelodeon's share of the Kids market is shrinking, slightly.  The shift in viewing doesn't seem to be going to any one specific alternative channel.
3. There was some concern that the lower numbers from Neilsen may be a result of changing sample demographics, rather than a reflection of general audience behaviors.

Mitch Oscar, who chaired the group, stole a riff from The Who in his conclusion:

“We are glad that the kids are all right. Even though they have many opportunities for alternative media usage, linear TV remains strong. And depending on whose currency you use, Nielsen is only down slightly and Rentrak shows growth. More to follow."

Source -  Collaborative Think Tank Looks At Kids' STB Data,  TV Board