Viacom's MTV Has Record Ratings Jump for Younger Audience

MTV's third-quarter ratings had its largest-ever year-over-year jump for its target 12-to-34-year-old audience, reflecting strong ratings from the Viacom Inc. (VIA) unit for shows such as Jersey Shore and The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards."

MTV's third-quarter ratings for the 12-34 group jumped 30% from a year earlier, the network said in a statement Monday. MTV's year-to-date ratings are up 14% from a year earlier.

MTV has helped Viacom's media-networks operations, which account for about two-thirds of the parent company's revenue, boost both sales and earnings this year. Viacom's media networks' operating income for the first two quarters increased 12% from a year earlier as revenue rose 5%, Viacom said last month.

MTV's Jersey Shore and Teen Mom were the two highest-rated original cable series of the third quarter, while the network accounted for the four most popular individual cable telecasts of the year.