The summer has apparently been good to Slice, which Alliance Atlantis says is showing significant growth in key demographics since it launched nearly six months ago.

The channel, formerly known as Life Network, claims it has upped its average minute audience by 52% for adults aged 25-54, and by 47% for women aged 18-49 over the summer, compared to 2006.

Slice VP of content Vanessa Case tells Playback Daily she is ‘very pleased’ that the channel, which brands itself as ‘guilty pleasures’ for women, has also succeeded in dropping its average viewer age from 43 in 2006 to 37 this year.

‘Women who were in their 30s primarily were not being targeted very aggressively,’ she says, noting that the most competitive demographic in the marketplace is women aged 25-54. ‘We went from mid-to-low 40s as the average age on Life to a 37 on Slice… it has remained consistent since our launch.’

The channel refused to provide more specific ratings, however.

Reality shows such as Superstar Hair Challenge, Tori and Dean: Inn Love and Newlywed, Nearly Dead? are among the channel’s most-watched series, according to BBM Nielsen Media Research data provided by Slice.

Producer Rob Cohen of Toronto-based prodco Media Headquarters will begin shooting the second season of his Slice advice series Outlaw In-Laws next month. He says the show, which premiered in the spring, has grown viewership for its Friday 8:30 p.m. and Sunday 10:30 p.m. timeslots by 60% among women aged 18-49 versus a year ago.

‘The relaunch of Slice lended a certain excitement and attention to the lineup, which helped publicize the show,’ Cohen says, adding that the series’ unique concept resonates with audiences.

Cable channels tend to do well in summer, but Slice will face stiffer competition when the season, and its reruns, end and viewers head back down the dial to the major networks.