Viacom turns the corner on its ad slump Wed May 1, 2013 9:49am EDT (Reuters) - Viacom Inc reported a 6 percent drop in revenue because of a weak slate of movies from its studio Paramount Pictures, but advertising revenue turned positive during the quarter. The company said for the quarter that ended March 31, revenue was $3.14 billion, slightly lower than analysts' expectations of $3.19 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. But its cable network properties, which include MTV and Nickelodeon, were climbing out of a slump as advertising revenue rose 2 percent in the United States. Viacom has been struggling with a decline in TV ratings, which are the currency for commercials, that has been responsible for lower advertising sales. The more people watch a program, the higher the cost of the ad. Last quarter, Viacom said ad revenue slipped 6 percent on weakness at Nickelodeon, its network that airs programming aimed at children. Adjusted for special items, earnings per share were 96 cents, a penny ahead of expectations. Reporting by Jennifer Saba in New York; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Maureen Bavdek