New Disney Characters Make It Big in TV’s Preschool Playground

Nick Jr. has long been cable television’s No. 1 channel dedicated solely to preschool children. The service, owned by Viacom, had a smash hit in “Dora the Explorer,” which made its debut in 2000. Competition was also light: the Walt Disney Company, preoccupied with hunting for preteenagers, operated no 24-hour preschool channel. But in the year since Disney introduced Disney Junior, a channel aimed at the tiniest of viewers, Nick Jr. ratings have plummeted more than 50 percent, according to Nielsen. On April 2 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.