• by David Kaplan , March 25, 2005

As of March 28, Turner Broadcasting System's Adult Swim programming block--which runs Monday-Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, 11 p.m.-6 a.m. on Cartoon Network--will be listed as an individual ad-supported basic cable television network alongside Cartoon Network.

Essentially, both Adult Swim and Cartoon Network will each be designated as separate, official Nielsen ratings and delivery performance reports covering audience demographics, network representatives said Thursday.

Both services will continue to be programmed and marketed independently to appeal to their primary target viewers--Cartoon Network to kids ages 6-11, 2-11, and tweens 9-14; Adult Swim to young adults ages 18-34 and 18-24.

Turner Broadcasting System asked Nielsen Media Research recently to separate all ratings information for its late-night franchise Adult Swim from Cartoon Network's overall reports. The network felt that the strong ratings Adult Swim was getting had been diluted by being bundled together with Cartoon Network's daytime offerings.

According to Turner, looking at 2004-05 season performance through January, Adult Swim would rank number 1 among adults ages 18-34, viewers 12-34, viewers 12-24, males 12-34, and males 12-24. Adult Swim would also rank #2 in basic cable among men ages 18-34, trailing only ESPN, a Turner representative said. Turner Broadcasting System is owned by Time Warner.

Adult Swim also held its upfront presentation in New York on Thursday.

The late-night animated programming block's new season will feature five new original series: "The Boondocks," based on the comic strip; "Stroker & Hoop," which is about the misadventures of John Stroker, a private eye still mastering the art of lock-picking; "American Dad!", featuring a CIA agent for whom the war on terror never ends, even at home (the show will also appear on Fox); "Squidbillies," from "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" co-creator Dave Willis and "The Brak Show" co-creator Jim Fortier, in which a family of cephalopods stranded in the North Georgia mountains raise hell and anger local officials; "12oz Mouse," which concerns the trials and travails of a small rodent who is fond of beer and caught in a world of espionage and love; and "Perfect Hair Forever," which chronicles the adventures of a young, bald boy in a mystical land as he seeks perfect hair.