Kids Cotton to Web Extension of 'iCarly'; Nickelodeon Series Puts Premium on Online Participation.(News)(iCarly viewing via the Web)

Byline: Jon Lafayette

Convergence, it turns out, is kids' stuff.

Before it launched "iCarly'' in September, Nickelodeon said the series would break ground in combining scripted television with viewer participation via the Web.

That may have been an understatement. The show's a hit in both mediums, according to both Nielsen and comScore.

"We're surprised at how much this has captured our audience,'' said Steve Youngwood, executive VP of digital for Nickelodeon and the MTV Networks Kids & Family Group. "But now that we see it, we're in some ways…