To help boost ratings in the now highly-desired Women 25-35 demo, Viacom’s VH1 kicked off a trio of reality shows at 8PM Sunday 4/16, including “Mob Wives,” which follows several women who were born into, or married into, reputed Mafia families. “Audrina” followed with former “Hills” star Audrina Patridge into the next stage of her life and career, introducing viewers to a whole new cast of characters, most importantly her large, outrageous, Orange County family. Next was “Saddle Ranch,” following the famous Sunset Strip Saddle Ranch Chop House and its wild employees. We think this one will appeal to men as much as women.
Also, in May, VH1 plans to introduce a morning talker about pop culture dubbed “Big Morning Buzz Live,” hosted by TV personality Carrie Keagan (30). Later in the month, VH1 plans to launch “Single Ladies,” a comedy from the production company of Queen Latifah.
“We saw ratings deteriorate, and we were hearing from our audiences that there was a fatigue level with some of our shows,” Tom Calderone, VH1 President, told the Wall Street Journal. “So we decided it was time to figure out what our next voice was going to be.”
The story also noted that in recent years, VH1 has watched its female viewers slip away. Last year about 210,000 women between 18-49 years old tuned in to the channel each night during prime time, about a third fewer than the average 317,000 viewers in the same demographic who watched it in 2007.
