Fox Family Fights Back
-- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/6/2000
The poster network for relaunches gone awry is finally making some headway. FOX Family, repositioned from old-time religion to general entertainment in 1998, is showing signs of recovery after a two-year ratings slide.
Total day was up 33% in October, from a 0.3 to a 0.4, and, while traditional 8-11 p.m. prime time was down 30%, evenings beginning at 6 p.m., when the audience switches from kids to adults, are up slightly. The 6-11 p.m. block is up 23% in adults 18-34 and 10% in 25-54s, according to Maureen Smith, president of FOX Family.
FOX Family's "13 Days of Halloween" stunt was especially good for the network, boosting total-day ratings for the period 67% over last year, from a 0.3 to a 0.5, and 33% for the entire month, from a 0.3 to a 0.4. The final night of Scariest Places on Earth, a five-part spooker that anchored the frightfest, scored a respectable 1.7 and won the time period in basic cable for key adult demos, including 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54. The Fearing Mind, a scripted series from the house of Henson, was also launched during 13 Days. It managed to increase the time slot by 44% against Game One of the World Series, Forrest Gump on ABC and The Bridges of Madison County on NBC.
