Kentucky Educational Television (KET) officials say a younger audience is behind significant ratings increases in the latest year-over-year Neilsen statistics. “A lot people, sometimes, they start watching PBS or KET during Sesame Street and then they drop out until their 60s. So we’re really encouraged a younger audience is coming in," said Craig Cornwell, KET's programming director. The increase is partly due to PBS’s hit show Downton Abbey, a critically-acclaimed early 20th century period piece. In February this year the show ran its season finale against the Super Bowl and received its fair share of viewers compared to other programs running that night, as reported by the New York Times.
But Cornwell said several other prime time shows also saw higher ratings. “When you looked closer at the ratings you notice that practically every evening had an increase in ratings and, best news for us is, some of the biggest increase for us was in the 18 to 49 audiences.” The Nielsen ratings drew only from Lexington viewers, but showed a 168 percent increase in the younger audience during prime-time. Of that group, there was a surprising 231 percent increase in male viewers. The ratings are provided to KET four times a year.
