Brown Johnson out at Nickelodeon

NICK SHUFFLE: With ratings plummeting, Nickelodeon has forced out animation chief Brown Johnson, the executive most responsible for creating the network's popular hit Dora the Explorer, the L.A. Times reported. The channel’s ratings are down nearly 25% compared to last summer in their key demo of 2-11, with once-mint franchises like SpongeBob SquarePants faltering. Margie Cohn, who had been in charge of live-action programming, has been reassigned, with 14-year veteran Russell Hicks named to run West Coast operations, duties that previously had been split between Johnson and Cohn. Before joining Nick, Hicks was VP Marketing for the Cartoon Network/Turner brands, including Scooby Doo and the Power Puff Girls. Cohn will continue to oversee live-action programming development, including short-form content and animation content for the web. Next month, Nickelodeon rolls out its big bet, a new CGI-animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show. (8/31a)