4Kids Entertainment, distributors of the highly rated Pokemon TV show, announced today that in the New York market, the show received a 6.9 rating on Tuesday. This means it beat out morning standbys The Today Show, Good Morning America, and CBS This Morning. Pokemon airs weekdays on 115 stations in North America.
Tom Kenney, president of The Summit Media Group, which syndicates the show, said in a statement, "Pokemon offers something for all its viewers. It has an emotional storyline, every episode ending with a moral, as well as a competitive edge filled with action. Teenagers love it too because they are usually the first age group to find out about the newest and hottest video games. They tune in because the Pokemon storyline gives the viewer clues on how to play the Pokemon Game Boy game."
4Kids says that early indications show that Pokemon in the US could mirror the Japanese phenomenon, which has spawned an entire industry of licensed products in addition to the video games and TV show.