The weekly ratings highlights for April 13 to 19 are in from Nielsen Media Research, and Disney Channel rang in as the number-one network in total day for the third consecutive week with tweens (nine to 14). Nickelodeon’s Penguins of Madagascar also took flight,

Disney Sunday night series Hannah Montana (2.1 million/8.4 rating), Wizards of Waverly Place (1.6 million/6.7 rating) and Sonny With a Chance (1.5 million/6.1 rating) came in as the week’s top three telecasts, making the net TV’s number-one network in total day in tweens (525,000/2.1 rating) for the third-consecutive week. The week was also the net’s most-watched in the daypart in almost four months in the target measure, and second-most-watched week of 2009 to date overall.

Primetime has also been growing week to week, up 13% in kids (six to 11, 1.0 million/4.2 rating versus 884,000/3.5 rating) and by 25% in tweens (884,000/3.6 rating vs. 706,000/3.6 rating).

Meanwhile, Nickelodeon nabbed basic cable’s top three kids’ telecasts for this week, with new SpongeBob SquarePants ep ‘SpongeBob vs. The Big One’ and The Penguins of Madagascar .

The new SpongeBob ep netted basic cable’s highest-ranking telecast with total viewers for kids (two to 11 and six to 11) and the week’s top spot with kids on broadcast and basic cable TV when it aired on Friday, April 17 at 8 p.m. The ep scored 5.8 million total viewers (P2+), averaging 9.4/3.3 million K2-11 (up +135%) and a 9.6/2.0 million K6-11 (up +113%).

The ep saw a repeat (Saturday, April 18, 9:30 a.m.), which captured the spot as basic cable’s number-two kids-targeted telecast for the week, hauling in 5.2 million total viewers (+40%), and averaging an 8.5/3.0 million K2-11 (+42%) and a 9/0/1.9 million K6-11 (+53%).

It was then followed by a new ep of The Penguins of Madagascar at 10 a.m., which was basic cable’s highest-ranking kids’ show this week with total viewers behind SpongeBob SquarePants. That episode drew 4.9 million total viewers (+44%), averaging an 8.1/2.8 million K2-11 (+47%) and an 8.3/1.8 million K6-11 (+57%).

Other Nick channels also fared well, with The N posting a 14% gain with total viewers, and with Nicktoons Network bringing in double and triple-digit gains: +150% with K6-11; +133% B6-11; +150% B9-14; and +50% T9-14. It was also up +68% in total viewer delivery over last year. Noggin also saw double-digit gains of +47% with K2-5 and +46% with total viewers.

In the preschool scene, Little Airplane Productions’ 3rd & Bird! and The Wonder Pets! also captured top spots State-side and in the UK.

3rd & Bird!, which airs daily at 6:25 p.m. in the Bedtime Hour on CBeebies regularly hits the top spot for all individuals across all shows on all kids channels in the UK, according to ratings tracker BARB, from Feb 17 to March 29. In the week ending March 29, 3rd & Bird! snagged three of the top four program spots on the channel, having gained 200,000 sets of eyeballs, peaking at 510,000 since it launched last July.

Over in the US on Nick Jr., The Wonder Pets! garnered number-one ratings on multiple days throughout Q1 2009, according to Nielsen Galaxy Explorer. It’s also finished among Nick Jr.’s top five shows throughout the quarter, making it one of the top series on all of commercial television with preschool viewers. The Wonder Pets! airs daily at 10:30 a.m. on Nick Jr. and daily on Noggin at 8:30 p.m. (ET)/5:30 pm (PT).