NICK ROCKS

In its ongoing "cradle-to-grave" philosophy, MTV’s sister network—which has long targeted the 6-12-year-old demo—is acting more and more like its older sibling, aiming programming at the so-called tweens, ages 9-15.

Nickelodeon Senior Director of Talent Shelly "Fort" Sumter—along with President Film & TV Production for Nickelodeon, TV Land and TNN Albie Hecht—has been instrumental in boosting pop music’s profile on the channel, especially on the station’s 14th annual "Kid’s Choice" awards, airing Saturday (4/15) at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

"I’ve got everyone calling me to get their artists on," she said when we told her we were trying to book Billy Idol. "There’s a huge musical presence on the show. I wish I could accommodate everyone who wants to perform."

• Last year’s "Kid’s Choice" performers all experienced a rise in sales the week following the telecast, with Mandy Moore up 67%, 98 showing a 40% increase and Jessica Simpson a 37% boost.
• This year’s show features performances by Backstreet Boys, Destiny’s Child, Aaron Carter and Lil Bow Wow. Among the artists nominated in musical categories are Ricky Martin, NSYNC, Britney Spears, Baha Men, Sisqo, Will Smith, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Pink, blink-182, Creed, Dixie Chicks and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
• Earlier this year, Nickelodeon developed "TEENick" on Sunday nights, a two-and-a-half hour programming block featuring music and interactive elements, including live-action and animated shows.
• "TEENick" also includes "N.V.P" ("Nick Video Picks"), Nick’s answer to "TRL," a weekly countdown of the Top Five video picks as tallied by Nick.com with the winning clip played in its entirety. Thirty-second snippets of three clips are played Monday through Friday, with a daily winner revealed during that evening’s "Slimetime Live" (4:30-6 p.m.). Finalists are voted on by viewers, with the overall winner announced on Sunday’s "TEENick" block.
• "TEENick" will present music specials and live concerts, starting in June, with slated performers including Dream, Lil Bow Wow and Lil’ Romeo. Sumter says music enables Nick to connect with its viewers’ lifestyles. "We attach ourselves to artists at an early age, like Aaron Carter. We did his first concert special and we continue to feature him. There’s no stigma about going for this audience. Britney, NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, all began with us. It’s a launching pad for new artists’ careers."

She points to No Limit rapper (and Master P’s son) Lil’ Romeo as an example of the approach. "Master P came to us first," she said. "He wanted to be associated with Nickelodeon." As part of the channel’s own "Nick360" convergence, Lil’ Romeo will appear on "Slimetime Live," do chats on Nick.com, perform on a concert special and be cast in one or more of the network’s series.

"We work heavily in tandem with the labels’ marketing campaigns," Sumter added. "It’s important that they are as committed as we are to the project. Now, please excuse me; I’ve got Mr. Tommy Pickles on the line. He’s going to host ‘Pin The Tail On The Jackass’ for five-year-olds."