Disney Junior ratings expected to surpass Nick Jr. for first time

I just blogged about watching 3 shows on the Disney channel over Spring break, when I saw a link on Elizabeth Sweet’s Twitter feed to an article on these three shows from today’s New York Times:

On Tuesday Nielsen data for Disney Junior will be revealed for the first time; the new channel is expected to beat its rival, even though Nick Jr. is available in 75 million homes, 25 percent more than Disney Junior.

Disney now has the top three preschool cable programs, led by what appears to be a monster-size new hit, “Sofia the First,” a cartoon that stars a pint-size princess and her zany animal friends.

The 3 programs, the ones I just wrote about, are Doc McStuffins, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and Sofia the First. That’s the Disney Junior morning line up.

In my blog, I called the home of these 3 shows the Disney Channel. Apparently, the channel is actually called Disney Junior. The goal is to hook kids while they’re young on Disney Junior and then transfer them to the Disney Channel for 6 – 14 yr olds.

“These children are the Walt Disney Company’s most important audience,” Ms. Sweeney said. “They’re the future, and this is their first introduction to our brand.”

I’ve got to admit, out of those three choices– PBS, Nick Jr, and Disney Junior, the latter has the best shows for female protags. The NYT article states Dora is getting dethroned by Sofia. Physically, I prefer Dora’s appearance, especially since both girls are supposed to be Hispanic. Dora actually looks the part. But Dora lost her coolness when she morphed into a princess herself and then was eclipsed by her cousin, Diego. I agree, though for different reasons, Dora has fallen from grace.

PBS’s morning line up is terrible for female characters.

Is the good news about the high Disney Junior ratings that female characters sell?