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'''NickMom''' was an American nighttime ] owned by ] (now Paramount Media Networks). It aired on the ] during the ] hours of 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. ], when the channel's regular audience of children would normally be sleeping. The block carried ad-supported comedy programming targeting an adult demographic, particularly young ]s.
When NickMom was first announced in 2011, over 30 projects were in development for the block.<ref name=variety/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2011/11/nick-jr-to-launch-primetime-programming-block-for-moms-193005/|title=Nick Jr. To Launch Primetime Programming Block For Moms|work=]|date=November 9, 2011|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie}}</ref> Original shows produced for NickMom included the stand-up comedy show called ''NickMom Night Out'', the variety show ''Parental Discretion with ]'', and the docu-comedy show ''Take Me to Your Mother''. The block's highest-rated program was '']'',<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nickelodeon-greenlights-second-season-of-nick-at-nite-original-family-comedy-instant-mom-starring-tia-mowry-hardrict-233046051.html|title=Nickelodeon Greenlights Second Season of Nick at Nite Original Family Comedy Instant Mom, Starring Tia Mowry-Hardrict|publisher=]|via=]|date=November 22, 2013|access-date=February 9, 2014|quote=the series launch on NickMom that same night was the block's highest-rated premiere ever}}</ref> which was ordered specifically for NickMom<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://ir.paramount.com/news-releases/news-release-details/nickmom-picks-13-episodes-instant-mom-tv-blocks-first-original|title=NickMom Picks Up 13 Episodes Of Instant Mom, The TV Block's First Original Scripted Comedy Series Starring Tia Mowry-Hardrict|date=April 3, 2013|publisher=]}}</ref> but also aired on ]'s main channel during the ] block.
At first, the timing of NickMom generated some controversy. As the Nick Jr. Channel only operated a single feed out of the Eastern Time Zone, the channel transitioned into its adult-oriented shows earlier than expected in other ]s. Viacom rectified this issue in February 2013 with the launch of a second ]-based feed for the channel. The NickMom block lasted for nearly three years, ending its run on September 28, 2015. The NickMom website was also closed, and the domain now redirects to the parental resources section of ].
==History==
===Launch===
In 2011, Viacom announced that it would launch a new block on the Nick Jr. Channel for the 2012-13 television season known as NickMom, which would be aimed towards young mothers, as part of the company's "cradle-to-grave" strategy<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newsweek.com/cradle-grave-tv-148967|title=Cradle To Grave TV|last=Roberts|first=Johnnie|date=18 March 2001|work=]|access-date=24 January 2018}}</ref> where viewers grow into watching other Viacom networks (from Nick Jr. to Nickelodeon, then ], ] and then to ] and ]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/09/29/media/viacom-cbs-reunion/index.html|title=Viacom-CBS reunion proposal seeks to fix Redstone's mistake - Sep. 29, 2016|last=Lowry|first=Brian|date=29 September 2016|work=]|access-date=24 January 2018}}</ref>). The company explained that "today's moms who grew up with Nickelodeon have a renewed relationship with us through their kids", and that the new brand would "offer a destination that is unique in today's entertainment landscape with content that taps into Nickelodeon's comedic DNA". Unlike the Nick Jr. Channel's main programming, which was commercial-free at the time, NickMom was to be commercially supported, having recently reached sponsorship deals with ] and ]. Over 30 projects were in development for the block at the time of the announcement.<ref name=variety>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2011/tv/news/nick-jr-crafting-mom-oriented-content-1118045882/|title=Nick Jr. crafting mom-oriented content|last=Weisman|first=Jon|date=2011-11-09|work=]|access-date=2017-08-29|language=en-US}}</ref>
===Closure===
On September 9, 2015, the network's ] and ] accounts released a statement explaining that the NickMom programming block and website would cease operations by the end of the month.<ref>{{cite tweet |user=NickMom |title=Unlike your laundry pile, some things do come to an end. We're sad to say NickMom will be going off-air and offline at the end of the month. |number=641706404731035648 |access-date=28 September 2015 |date=9 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-09-09|url=https://www.facebook.com/nickmom/photos/a.258329014227523/953806038013147/?type=3|title=Unlike your bottomless laundry pile, some things do come to an end. We’re sad to say that NickMom will be going off air and offline at the end of the month. Thanks for all of your years of laughs and support… we’ll continue to give you some last LOLs here for the next few weeks.|via=]|language=en|access-date=2019-12-23}}</ref>
NickMom ended its nearly three-year run at 2 a.m. ET on September 28 after a showing of the film '']'', without any mention of it coming to an end. Shortly after, the network's website address was redirected to Nickelodeon's site for parental resources.
==Programming==
{{Main|List of programs broadcast by the Nick Jr. Channel#NickMom}}
Original programming which launched with the block included ''Parental Discretion with ]'', ''MFF: Mom Friends Forever'', ''NickMom Night Out'', and ''What Was Carol Brady Thinking?'', featuring comedic commentary from ] within episodes of '']'' in the style of '']'' (] herself had no involvement in ''What Was Carol Brady Thinking?'', with commentary penned by writers not involved with the original series).<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Strecker|first=Erin|url=https://ew.com/article/2012/08/15/nick-jr-launches-new-comedy-block-for-adults/|title=Nick Jr. launches new comedy block for adults|date=2012-08-15|magazine=]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829082248/https://ew.com/article/2012/08/15/nick-jr-launches-new-comedy-block-for-adults/|archive-date=2017-08-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Rubino|first=Lindsay|url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/nickmom-block-lines-slate-360929|title='NickMom' Block Lines Up a Slate|website=]|date=13 February 2012 |access-date=2017-08-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://slate.com/human-interest/2012/11/nickmom-comedy-block-nick-jr-goes-after-the-edgy-mommy-demo-with-not-much-success.html|title=MomTV|last=Grose|first=Jessica|date=2012-11-27|magazine=]|issn=1091-2339}}</ref>
By June 2013, some of the programs and movies airing on the block had been replaced with syndicated shows already airing on ] (or with their rights dormant on that channel), such as '']'' and '']''. Not including '']'' (whose second season aired on Nickelodeon and NickMom, but moved to ] for its third),<ref>{{cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2015/10/instant-mom-cancelled-3-seasons-nick-at-nite-original-series-1201590102/|title='Instant Mom' To End Run After 3 Seasons As Nick at Nite Pauses Original Series|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=2015-10-22|work=]|access-date=2017-08-29}}</ref> the majority of the block's original shows were canceled due to low ratings or creative differences.
In 2015, movie feature presentations were added to the schedule, with family-friendly and romantic comedies becoming prevalent. After acquiring its syndication rights, NickMom began airing the 2010 iteration of the ] family drama, '']'', in April 2015 (rights for that show transferred to ] after NickMom's demise as a complement to '']'' being carried by that network recently and featuring ] as a star in both series).
==Controversy==
The block's timing was met with some controversy. Since the Nick Jr. Channel operated on only one feed that broadcast on a default ] schedule, NickMom programming started at earlier times for viewers in different time zones, including as early as mid-afternoon in Hawaii, which was found to be a challenge to parents in those time zones, given the block's adult-oriented humor.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.azfamily.com/news/Sexual-comedy-show-airs-on-toddler-network--173937121.html|title=Sexual comedy show airs on toddler network|last=Hoffman|first=Sybil|date=15 October 2012|work=]|access-date=16 October 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126101226/http://www.azfamily.com/news/Sexual-comedy-show-airs-on-toddler-network--173937121.html|archive-date=26 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2015/09/10/the-tv-shows-mothers-deserve/|title=The TV shows mothers deserve|last=Brown|first=Stacia L.|date=2015-09-10|newspaper=]|access-date=2017-08-29|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> The single-feed problem was rectified in mid-February 2013, when a second Pacific Time Zone-based feed for the Nick Jr. Channel was put into service.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/ComcastTucson/posts/10151513393410850|title=Starting Thursday, Nick Jr will change from an east coast feed to a west coast feed so we are in line with the west coast programming schedules. If you DVR recordings on Nick Jr., you may need to delete and reset them up again.|work=] post|publisher=], ] division|access-date=14 January 2016}}</ref>
==Ratings==
] for the NickMom block's first week dropped 75% from that same period the year prior when Nick Jr. and Noggin programs aired in the timeslot, with some shows registering a "scratch" as being unrated due to a low sample size.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443749204578052881834903510|title=Mom Shows Hurt Nick Jr.|last=Jannarone|first=John|date=12 October 2012|work=]|access-date=16 October 2012}}</ref> A 2013 report from SNL Kagan and distributed by the ], which was opposed to the block, reported that the Nick Jr. Channel had a large loss of half their viewers in primetime, and of advertisers during the time the most racy of NickMom content was available before the addition of Nick at Nite content, along with a surge in the ratings of competitors ] and ], which continued to air preschool-targeted programming in primetime. The report noted the ratings were among the lowest in primetime for cable networks. Although the report also listed that the network had a cash flow of -27%, the Nick Jr. Channel ran traditional advertising only during the NickMom block and sustained advertising for the rest of the broadcast day, and mainly was a ] as part of Nickelodeon's portion of the Viacom ] network suite; those networks usually make little money for the company and feature little to no advertising.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.parentstv.org/blog/indecent-nickmom-devastates-nick-jr-network|title= Indecent "NickMom" Devastates Nick Jr. Network|date=October 10, 2013|work=]|access-date=December 31, 2016}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Nickelodeon}}
{{ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks}}
]
]
]
Latest revision as of 14:06, 7 January 2025
American programming block on the Nick Jr. Channel
NickMom was an American nighttime programming block owned by Viacom Media Networks (now Paramount Media Networks). It aired on the Nick Jr. Channel during the watershed hours of 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. ET, when the channel's regular audience of children would normally be sleeping. The block carried ad-supported comedy programming targeting an adult demographic, particularly young mothers.
When NickMom was first announced in 2011, over 30 projects were in development for the block. Original shows produced for NickMom included the stand-up comedy show called NickMom Night Out, the variety show Parental Discretion with Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, and the docu-comedy show Take Me to Your Mother. The block's highest-rated program was Instant Mom, which was ordered specifically for NickMom but also aired on Nickelodeon's main channel during the Nick at Nite block.
At first, the timing of NickMom generated some controversy. As the Nick Jr. Channel only operated a single feed out of the Eastern Time Zone, the channel transitioned into its adult-oriented shows earlier than expected in other time zones. Viacom rectified this issue in February 2013 with the launch of a second Pacific Time Zone-based feed for the channel. The NickMom block lasted for nearly three years, ending its run on September 28, 2015. The NickMom website was also closed, and the domain now redirects to the parental resources section of Nick.com.
History
Launch
In 2011, Viacom announced that it would launch a new block on the Nick Jr. Channel for the 2012-13 television season known as NickMom, which would be aimed towards young mothers, as part of the company's "cradle-to-grave" strategy where viewers grow into watching other Viacom networks (from Nick Jr. to Nickelodeon, then MTV, VH1 and then to CBS and Showtime). The company explained that "today's moms who grew up with Nickelodeon have a renewed relationship with us through their kids", and that the new brand would "offer a destination that is unique in today's entertainment landscape with content that taps into Nickelodeon's comedic DNA". Unlike the Nick Jr. Channel's main programming, which was commercial-free at the time, NickMom was to be commercially supported, having recently reached sponsorship deals with General Mills and Reckitt. Over 30 projects were in development for the block at the time of the announcement.
Closure
On September 9, 2015, the network's Twitter and Facebook accounts released a statement explaining that the NickMom programming block and website would cease operations by the end of the month.
NickMom ended its nearly three-year run at 2 a.m. ET on September 28 after a showing of the film Guarding Tess, without any mention of it coming to an end. Shortly after, the network's website address was redirected to Nickelodeon's site for parental resources.
Original programming which launched with the block included Parental Discretion with Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, MFF: Mom Friends Forever, NickMom Night Out, and What Was Carol Brady Thinking?, featuring comedic commentary from Carol Brady within episodes of The Brady Bunch in the style of Pop-Up Video (Florence Henderson herself had no involvement in What Was Carol Brady Thinking?, with commentary penned by writers not involved with the original series).
By June 2013, some of the programs and movies airing on the block had been replaced with syndicated shows already airing on Nick at Nite (or with their rights dormant on that channel), such as The New Adventures of Old Christine and Yes, Dear. Not including Instant Mom (whose second season aired on Nickelodeon and NickMom, but moved to TV Land for its third), the majority of the block's original shows were canceled due to low ratings or creative differences.
In 2015, movie feature presentations were added to the schedule, with family-friendly and romantic comedies becoming prevalent. After acquiring its syndication rights, NickMom began airing the 2010 iteration of the NBC family drama, Parenthood, in April 2015 (rights for that show transferred to Up after NickMom's demise as a complement to Gilmore Girls being carried by that network recently and featuring Lauren Graham as a star in both series).
Controversy
The block's timing was met with some controversy. Since the Nick Jr. Channel operated on only one feed that broadcast on a default Eastern Time Zone schedule, NickMom programming started at earlier times for viewers in different time zones, including as early as mid-afternoon in Hawaii, which was found to be a challenge to parents in those time zones, given the block's adult-oriented humor. The single-feed problem was rectified in mid-February 2013, when a second Pacific Time Zone-based feed for the Nick Jr. Channel was put into service.
Ratings
Nielsen ratings for the NickMom block's first week dropped 75% from that same period the year prior when Nick Jr. and Noggin programs aired in the timeslot, with some shows registering a "scratch" as being unrated due to a low sample size. A 2013 report from SNL Kagan and distributed by the Parents Television Council, which was opposed to the block, reported that the Nick Jr. Channel had a large loss of half their viewers in primetime, and of advertisers during the time the most racy of NickMom content was available before the addition of Nick at Nite content, along with a surge in the ratings of competitors Disney Junior and Sprout, which continued to air preschool-targeted programming in primetime. The report noted the ratings were among the lowest in primetime for cable networks. Although the report also listed that the network had a cash flow of -27%, the Nick Jr. Channel ran traditional advertising only during the NickMom block and sustained advertising for the rest of the broadcast day, and mainly was a loss leader as part of Nickelodeon's portion of the Viacom digital cable network suite; those networks usually make little money for the company and feature little to no advertising.
