• by July 21, 2000

Nickelodeon continued to dominate Saturday mornings by outperforming the broadcast networks in head-to-head competition for the 17th consecutive week. According to Nielsen Media Research for Saturday, July 15, Nickelodeon scored a 4.5/21 national rating/share (1.8 million viewers) from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. (ET/PT) among kids 2-11-marking increases of 32% in rating, 17% in share and 32% in viewers, as compared to ratings of the same time period last year.

Additionally, Nickelodeon beat the closest competitor, the WB, by 67% in rating, 62% in share and 64% in viewers. The WB, whose line-up includes Pokemon and Batman Beyond, averaged a 2.7/13 rating/share (1.1 million viewers)-down 16% in rating, 24% in share and 13% in viewers from prior-year levels. Following was FOX (2.3/11 rating/share and 933,000 viewers); ABC (2.2/11 rating/share and 875,000 viewers); Cartoon Network (1.8/8 rating/share and 708,000 viewers); Disney Channel (1.5/7 rating/share and 583,000 viewers); and Fox Family Channel (0.6/3 rating/share and 234,000 viewers).

Also, Nickelodeon generated seven of the top-rated Saturday-morning programs, led by SpongeBob SquarePants, (10:30-11 a.m.) which garnered a 5.3 rating. Rugrats (9-9:30 a.m.), which has solidly outperformed the WB's Pokemon in head-to-head competition for the past 13 consecutive weeks, beat Pokemon on Saturday by 11%, garnering a 3.9 rating as compared to Pokemon's 3.5.