Summer TV Winners and Losers
Just two years ago, MTV was struggling to find its footing. Network staple TRL had ended, onetime hit The Hills was on its way out, and ratings were in a downward spiral. MTV faced its biggest identity crisis yet — then along came Snooki and Co. Now, led by the crass stars of prime-time phenomenon Jersey Shore, MTV can easily be crowned the biggest winner of the summer of 2011. Jersey Shore's Season 4 premiere averaged 8.8 million viewers, and the show landed five of the top seven cable telecasts of summer. "Thank God for Jersey Shore," says MTV programming head David Janollari. Those ratings translate to big advertising bucks for MTV, notes Horizon Media analyst Brad Adgate. "I think in the 30-year history of MTV, this has been...
