TORONTO – The March 14 debut of the Canadian live-action series The Latest Buzz garnered the biggest-ever audience for a series premiere on Family Channel, it was announced Wednesday.
The series, about a group of grade nine students who take over a struggling teen-oriented magazine, had an average audience of 322,600 – 17% more viewers than the previous record holder, according to Astral Media, which owns the channel. Astral said it was the most-watched series premier in Family Channel’s 20-year history.
Some 66% of the viewers fell into the channel’s core audience of 8 to 14 year olds.
The series premiere had a cumulative reach of 710,000 (2+) and a cumulative average audience of 468,500 over two telecasts. The Latest Buzz is produced by Decode Entertainment Inc.
“We’re always proud when our commitment to Canadian original programming translates into ratings success,” said Joe Tedesco, vice-president and general manager of Family Channel and Playhouse Disney.
Astral said that since the 2002-2003 season, Family has grown its 2+ audience 59%, and today commands the number one spot in several categories, including being the top pay and specialty TV channel for 8 to 14 year olds and for teens aged 12 to 17.
