TV channels seek to capture the boy market

Wednesday September 2, 2009: Marvel Purchase shows Disney's boy troubles: Channels have had a tough time appealing to males as much as females. The Associated Press

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32663578/ns/business-media_biz//

Synopsis

This article was about competing TV channels in their quest to capture and secure the boy market. It began speaking about recent moves made by Disney. Recently Walt Disney Co. has made headlines with the purchase of Marvel, the comic book giant, for a price of $4 billion dollars. Recently they also created the channel Disney XD, targeted towards younger boys. Disney has made these decisions in reaction to their own recent success with the Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers, and High School Musical franchises who's audience consists of 65% girls. Should they try and keep the audiences they have? Or is trying to win back the boys really such a good idea wonders the author. He notes that tween boys are already very much targeted, take Cartoon Network for example. Over 70% of their audience is boys, with popular shows like Star Wars: The Clone Wars which is coming out with a new season this fall.

Response

I think that disney is making a good move with the purchase of Marvel. Their earlier efforts of trying to create shows that appeal to boys(I'm in the band, Zeke and Luther) seem to have fallen flat and they have turned to fantasy. Does Disney Channel want need the stereotype as a girl channel where tweens can dote over The Jonas Brothers and sing along to Hannah Montana? I think that would be bad idea and seriously limit their audiences. But rather than separate their shows into strictly gender specific, why not find a middle ground? Nickelodeon has an average audience of 2.2 million(leading the industry) and has an almost equal representation of boys and girls with shows like Spongebob Squarepants and Penguins of Madagascar. Perhaps comedy is the link to bringing in both boys and girls.