Sometimes new ideas don’t work out right away. That’s what popular cable channel Nickelodeon, a Viacom (NASDAQ:VIA) company, is finding with its new evening programming block for Nick Jr. called NickMoms.
The new shows, aimed at mothers of small children, are racier and more adult in theme, reports The Wall Street Journal. The programming block includes such shows as MMF: Mom Friends Forever, Parental Discretion and NickMom Night Out.
The programming runs from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. ET. The time is designed to allow toddlers to be in bed while the more adult programming is running. But the shows aren’t delayed for other time zones, meaning they run at 7 p.m. on the West Coast.
The new block is the subject of protests from some parents. Using social media sites, they’re pressuring Viacom by calling for boycotts of Nickelodeon advertisers such as Target (NYSE:TGT) and Lysol. Viacom has responded by noting that it runs multiple notifications per day warning of the new content. Viacom also says no advertisers have dropped out.
But viewership is down 74% from the same time the previous year. A Viacom spokesman claimed that any new programming takes time to find an audience.
