just my 2 cents about muppet babies.. I actually have 2 of the old VHS sets they released aeons ago... 2 episodes each... my 9 yr old step daughter loves watching them. There is an audience for them and it's not just a toddler demographic, either. I would really love to have more of them for her to watch. We've been watching them together since she was 4 and it was a great way for us to talk about ideas like sharing and meeting new people (Her mom moved to a different state shortly after her father and I were married and she was facing having to move and make all new friends, and that can be scary when you're 4..)
And I've no idea where all these 12 yr olds are getting their money... over indulgent parents.. I certainly never had any money when I was 12.. and my 9 and 13 yr old step daughters certainly don't get big allowances..
And we do not have cable, dish, direct tv.. etc.. none of it... just the plain ole local pick up on the antenna stations... And a good deal of what's on those are NOT ALLOWED programs, cuz we really don't need that stuff being piped into the house... We do, however, have a fairly decent video collection. We have been collecting the TV programs that we enjoyed growing up as they have become available on DVD, and have a bunch of others on old VHS's that really need replaced, but haven't been released yet (heh like every episode of MT! hehehe) all things Muppet, Dionsaurs, Fraggle, etc are a must have part of our collection.. along with things like Brisco County, B5, X-Files, Cowboy Bebop, history programs, stuff from PBS, etc etc...
These are the things that get watched at our house. And we're not alone, I can name at least 3 other families in my neighborhood who are doing the same sort of thing.
All of these companies need to start realizing that there is a huge underground in America that is NOT happy with what's offered on TV and that is reacting to it by simply turning it off (or limiting it to pre approved videos) and that little underground is growing pretty quickly as we all look around and see "what has become" of TV and our society and "kids today".
There is a big difference between what is allowed at the girls' mom's house and what's allowed at ours.. and a big difference in their behaviours, too