American Idol the Show - Media & Discussion

[Ilovetowrite]

NEW YORK - Sanjaya Malakar, the singer who horrified and captivated millions in his improbable "American Idol" run, was finally voted off the show Wednesday night. When the result was announced, Malakar wiped away tears and got a big hug from LaKisha Jones, the next lowest vote-getter. "I'm fine," he told Ryan Seacrest. "It was an amazing experience."


 
"I can promise you: We won't soon forget you," Seacrest replied.

Malakar then performed one last song, "Something To Talk About." Putting his own twist on the song, the 17-year-old known for his pretty looks and ever-changing hairstyles ad-libbed: "Let's give them something to talk about ... other than hair."

On Tuesday night's show, Simon Cowell had slammed his performance as "utterly horrendous." And for once, the notoriously mean judge was vindicated.

"I'm beginning to sense something here," a grinning Cowell said when Malakar wound up in the bottom three.

Six contestants are now left: Jones, Blake Lewis, Jordin Sparks, Chris Richardson, Melinda Doolittle and Phil Stacey.

Malakar was routinely savaged by Cowell as he developed into one of the weakest, most awkward "Idol" finalists ever. Still, the gangly teen managed to outlast better singers by cultivating an unlikely fan base that helped him survive round after round of viewer elimination.

Though his breathy, childlike singing voice paled in comparison with other finalists, his ability to stand out kept him in the competition. He consistently delivered the season's most talked-about performances, even daring to sport a ponytail mohawk that added pizazz to an otherwise tepid rendition of No Doubt's "Bathwater."

That, of course, wound up fodder for watercooler discussion on G-rated morning programs and smart-alecky Web sites, stoking suspicion that Malakar was self-consciously manipulating the media to carve a place in "American Idol" history.

Many had predicted that he would make it all the way to May finale. Among Malakar's supporters: radio shock jock Howard Stern and the Web site VotefortheWorst.com, which has long promoted the show's tone-deaf candidates. (Previous targets include surly Scott Savol and sweet-natured Kevin Covais. Cult superstar William Hung never even made it to Hollywood.)

Malakar also had the backing of friends and family in his home state of Washington. "He's very handsome. That's most of it," marveled his friend Pat Wright, a gospel choir director in Seattle. "He's a teenager, and young girls and guys really like him."

Malakar seemed buoyed by his widespread fame.

"Welcome to the universe of Sanjaya!" he proudly proclaimed on a recent telecast, following a backhanded compliment from an exasperated Cowell.

Indeed, after panning another of Malakar's performances, Cowell threw up his arms and said there was nothing he could say to prevent people from voting for the oddball-turned-national phenomenon.

But, in the end, Malakar could not win enough votes to join the ranks of Taylor Hicks,        Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood.

He will, however, live forever on YouTube.


 

[aikenseeker]

'American Idol' Fans Deliver World Record-Breaking Vote and Overwhelming Public Donations for 'Idol Gives Back' Charity Telecasts on April 24 and April 25
?? Telescope and FOX Announce New World Record for Television Telephone Vote; More Than 70 Million Toll-Free and Text Votes Cast, and More Than $60 Million Raised to Date
By BusinessWire
LOS ANGELES, BUSINESS WIRE -- Telescope, the leader in participation media solutions, today announced a world record-setting event for television telephone voting for AMERICAN IDOL's 'Idol Gives Back' two-night special charity telecast on FOX April 24th and 25th. The April 24th performance telecast included more than 70 million toll-free and AT&T SMS votes cast for the six remaining 'Idol' performers. The previous world record was for the season 3 finale, which garnered 65.4 million votes cast for the 'Idol' finalists, meaning that AMERICAN IDOL smashed its own previous record by almost 5 million votes. The show also accumulated more than $60 million in donations from both corporate sponsors and viewers.

On Wednesday night, for the two-hour results show spectacular, more than 13,000 live call-center agents, across 31 separate call centers, were involved in 'Idol Gives Back' and a mass scale online donation system was set in place for the event. Telescope managed the sourcing and implementation of the technology systems required to process the donations from members of the public for the show, commencing the build-out in late-February with FOX and 'Idol' producing partners FremantleMedia North America, 19 Entertainment, as well as Charity Projects Entertainment Fund.

More than 30 million viewers tune in to AMERICAN IDOL each week to vote for their favorite contestants by dialing into the toll-free telephone numbers or texting in on their AT&T phones. Working with the show since its programming debut in 2002, Telescope has successfully managed 'Idol' voting for six straight seasons. Last season, Telescope announced nearly 580 million combined toll-free telephone and mobile text votes.

"With the new world record-breaking vote volume and incredible generosity of the donating American public for 'Idol Gives Back,' participation media has come of age. 'Idol Gives Back' engaged the television audience beyond our most optimistic expectations," said Sandy Bennett, general manager of Telescope. "We, at Telescope, have worked for six seasons to ensure that the AMERICAN IDOL voting systems are capable of achieving mass scale while maintaining accuracy and integrity, and 'Idol Gives Back' demonstrates clearly the improvements and developments that we and our technology partners have put in place to extend the interactive capabilities for the FOX television audience."

Ellen DeGeneres hosted the show's live companion event via satellite from downtown Los Angeles' Walt Disney Concert Hall. The star-studded evening saw appearances and performances from stars ranging from Earth Wind & Fire and Il Divo to Kellie Clarkson, Celine Dion, Rascall Flats, Annie Lennox, Seal and Bono.

The more than 70 million calls and text messages that came in for 'Idol Gives Back' will be added to next Tuesday's tallies, said host Ryan Seacrest. Melinda Doolittle, LaKisha Jones, Blake Lewis, Chris Richardson, Jordin Sparks and Phil Stacey all return for the May 2nd telecast.

Telescope will keep donation lines open until the end of May.

About FremantleMedia

FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) is a division of global media giant FremantleMedia, one of the largest international creators and producers of program brands in the world. Based in Burbank, California, FMNA currently produces some of the most innovative and highest-rated entertainment on television, including the Emmy-nominated musical/reality phenomenon "American Idol" for Fox, "America's Got Talent" and "Thank God You're Here" for NBC, "American Inventor" for ABC, "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency" for Oxygen, "Property Ladder" for TLC, "Monarch Cove" for Lifetime, the daily syndicated "Family Feud", and the longest-running game show in television history, "The Price Is Right" for CBS.

FremantleMedia is the production arm of the RTL Group, Europe's largest television and radio broadcast company. With interests in 34 television channels and 30 radio stations in 11 countries, RTL Group is a division of leading integrated media and entertainment company, Bertelsmann AG.

For further information, visit http://www.fremantlemedia.com.

About 19 Entertainment

19 Entertainment, Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of CKX, Inc. (Nasdaq: CKXE - News), was founded by Simon Fuller 21 years ago and acquired by CKX in March 2005. The company is recognized as a leading creator, provider and promoter of globally successful, music-based entertainment, or "Entertainment Brands." Simon Fuller, who serves as Chief Executive Officer of 19 Entertainment, is the creator of AMERICAN IDOL in the United States, "Pop Idol" in the UK, as well as versions of the IDOL format in more than 30 countries around the world. Fuller is also the co-creator of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, which aired in the U.S. on FOX during summer 2005 and was the top-rated television show in its time slot. Fuller has made music history in the UK and the U.S.A., producing a stream of No. 1 hits and managing multi-platinum-selling acts. Fuller recently became the world's most successful manager -- breaking a record set by the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein in the 1960s -- when three of his artists occupied the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 positions on the U.S. single chart as well as the No. 1 position on the album chart. 19 Entertainment has been involved in the creation of 109 No. 1 singles and 87 No. 1 albums in the UK alone, with an impressive tally of 296 Top-40 albums and 465 Top-40 singles.

About Telescope Inc.

Telescope provides toll-free, wireless and Internet-based interactivity solutions, including mass-scale television voting applications, SMS-based marketing and content programs, and mobile game and application development for media and corporate clients. Telescope is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with offices in New York and London. Visit us at www.telescope.tv.

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like a color photograph of 'AMERICAN IDOL's 'Idol Gives Back' telecast, or a headshot of Sandy Bennett, general manager of Telescope, please contact Chris Pfaff on +1-201-218-0262 or c.pfaff@att.net

Contacts:
For Telescope: Chris Pfaff Tech/Media LLC Chris Pfaff,
201-218-0262 c.pfaff@att.net

Copyright Business Wire 2007. All Rights Reserved

http://www.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=133632

[Moonshot]

ITunes to Carry `American Idol' Songs


CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — "American Idol" fans will be able to download their favorite performances thanks to a new agreement between the Fox talent show and Apple Inc.

Performances by "Idol" semifinalists go on sale on iTunes this week for 99 cents per song, the show's producers and Cupertino-based Apple announced Monday.

Full video of the top 12 contestants will be available through the online music store starting March 11 for $1.99.

The songs and videos will be posted to iTunes the day after the show airs.

Fox is owned by News Corp.

On the Net:

    * Fox: http://www.americanidol.com/
    * Apple: http://www.apple.com

AP News

[Moonshot]

Abdul Set for `Today' Concert Series
March 26, 2008, 1:28 PM EST

Paula Abdul and Miley Cyrus are among the stars who will headline the "Today" show's 13th annual concert series.

Abdul will kick off the series on the plaza outside the "Today" studio April 25, NBC announced Wednesday.

She recently debuted her first new song in a decade, "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow," produced by fellow "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson.

Cyrus is set to perform July 25.

Other headliners include Ashlee Simpson, Rascal Flatts, Natasha Bedingfield, Neil Diamond, Mary J. Blige, Alanis Morissette, the B-52s, Donna Summer, Chris Brown, Kenny Chesney, Rihanna and Coldplay.

Sheryl Crow will take the stage Aug. 1.

NBC said it will announce additional acts in the coming months.

———

NBC:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032633/

[Moonshot]

Ominous signs for 'American Idol'

Fox's longtime ratings juggernaut is beginning to look vulnerable in Season 7.
By Scott Collins, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 21, 2008

MAYBE it's not as shocking as, say, Aussie heartthrob Michael Johns getting voted off the show.

But the news still surprises: "American Idol's" ratings are down. Way down, among some viewers.

Could it be that the singing smash, which has entirely reshaped television over the past seven seasons, is finally proving mortal? And if so, what will that mean for Fox, the rest of the TV industry and Ryan Seacrest's career?

Some of the above are worth contemplating.

At first glance, the erosion doesn't seem so bad. "Idol" has slipped 7% in average total viewers (to 29.2 million, as of last week) compared with last season, according to figures from Nielsen Media Research.

"This show has defied the odds," Fox scheduling chief Preston Beckman told me Friday. " 'American Idol' has held up better than any other show, scripted or unscripted, on television."

And yet . . . this season the show has shed nearly one-fifth of women viewers ages 18 to 34 -- one of its most important constituencies -- and is down a comparable amount among kids 2 to 11. That's a bad sign, because children and young adults are generally the first to bail on a show that's getting crow's feet.

And the pace of the falloff may be quickening. Last week's performance show, featuring the songs of Mariah Carey, one of the most successful pop singers in history, was the lowest-rated Tuesday "Idol" in five years among TV's most important demographic, adults ages 18 to 49. The subsequent results show, in which country warbler Kristy Lee Cook got the hook, delivered "Idol's" worst Wednesday numbers among adults ages 18 to 34 since its first season back in summer 2002.

Producers also saw depressed ratings for their "Idol Gives Back" charity extravaganza, which this year aired as a stand-alone show with no competition-related material.

So, there you have the Nielsen bullet points. But what does it all mean? Is it a temporary speed bump for "Idol," or is the show headed for a long stretch of bad road? And if it's the latter, toward what does a decline for "Idol," TV's No. 1 show, point for future TV programming and scheduling?

The first thing to remember, of course, is that "Idol's" ratings are still huge, even if they were huger in years past. The April 8 telecast easily grabbed the crown as the week's No. 1 telecast, with 24.7 million viewers. Although CBS beat the drums hard for the post-strike return of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," the forensics drama had to settle for a second-place tie with the "Idol" results show (20.1 million). It goes without saying -- well, rival executives will certainly say it, just not on the record -- that other networks would be quite happy to have a No. 1 show with these kinds of problems.

Fox executives, for their part, are quick to point out that all of network TV has suffered in this strike-plagued season. And that's true: All five broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and the CW) have collectively dipped 10% among adults 18 to 49 this season.

Now, although you could make the argument -- as this column did awhile back -- that the effect of the writers strike should have created more opportunities for "Idol," Fox's Beckman took the opposite view. Rival networks threw so many strike-inspired reality programs on the air, he said, that "the number of unscripted shows that went against 'American Idol' was double what they were last year."

The more fundamental problem, though, is probably show fatigue. The conventional wisdom among TV producers and their accountants is that hit shows, no matter how popular, usually start delivering diminished ratings somewhere from Season 5 to Season 7. Seen that way, "Idol's" apparent decline is adhering to form. Some fans are seeing the program as less essential than it was a year or two ago. How many times can Americans see Seacrest insult Simon Cowell, and vice versa, before they say, "Enough already"?

"It would be great if the ratings could stay in the high 20s or low 30s," said executive producer Ken Warwick, referring to "Idol's" customary viewership in the tens of millions. "But everything has a sell-by date. Everything."

Warwick scoffed at Cowell's notion, quoted in a recent Variety interview, that the show was suffering this year because the contestants lack "personality" and are making "safe" song choices.

That's not to say, though, that Fox and the producers aren't going to huddle at the end of the season and talk about making some changes. The network carefully weighs research on audience reactions to "Idol," Beckman said. This season, executives noticed that the ratings dipped a bit during the audition phase, rebounded during the Hollywood rounds and then dropped to last week's lows.

"We have to think about how it's presented," Beckman said of "Idol," although he declined to speculate what sorts of changes might be in the offing: "These are questions you naturally ask when a show is in its seventh year."

How the rest of television will respond to more earthbound "Idol" numbers is harder to parse.

Even though it airs for just four months every year, "Idol" has redefined network TV. During an era of ebbing viewership, the show has proven that television, with the right program, can still regularly draw by far the biggest crowds in media. "Idol," in fact, is an industry unto itself. It's made Fox the No. 1 network in prime time, helped turn shows such as "24" and "House" into major hits and cast its thunderous marketing and merchandising power into nooks of the economy far beyond the long-suffering music business.

It also gives rival execs headaches and heartache. Since "Idol" became a regular-season fixture in 2003, other networks have found it virtually impossible to launch competing programs on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.

So, in theory at least, a descent for "Idol" would open up more opportunities for rival networks. They actually would be able to counter-program midweek again. Execs would be able to promote shows airing on other nights -- and people might actually see the promotions.

But don't carry such assumptions too far. Many viewers who show up to "Idol" are addicted to that particular show. If they tire of it, they won't necessarily watch something else. They may head over to YouTube or Facebook, or simply spend time with friends. Then, too, remember that rival networks found their ratings falling even before the strike last fall -- when "Idol" wasn't even on.

In any case, it was probably CBS boss Leslie Moonves who paid "Idol" the ultimate compliment at a media conference last month: "If someone would kill that show," the self-styled godfather of the TV industry said, "I'd really appreciate it."

Moonves' wish will ultimately be granted, of course, not by an anonymous hit man but rather by the viewing public. That seems especially clear given this season's results.

The only unknown, really, is how quickly the end will come.

Channel Island runs every Monday in Calendar. Contact Scott Collins at scott.collins@latimes.com

latimes.com

[Moonshot]

'Idol' Singer a Ringer? Album Already Out

How much of a ringer is "American Idol" contestant David Cook? His self-released album, "David Cook," is on the charts and the current season isn’t even over.

Cook’s 2006 CD, “Analog Heart,” was the No. 1 downloaded album all weekend on Amazon’s MP3 service. It even beat Mariah Carey’s "E=MC2."

Back when Cook auditioned in Omaha for "American Idol," he was identified as a bartender who happened to be a friend of Chris Daughtry, a now wildly successful post-"Idol" graduate.

It sure didn’t seem like Cook had a big career already — albeit regionally. He’d already appeared on a couple albums with a local group, and there was some vague mention of a solo album that he’d made himself.

But if "Analog Heart" is now being offered officially to proper downloading services — and not on just mysterious indie platforms — then Cook has to be behind it. That’s a first: an album out from an "Idol" contestant before the contest has concluded. What if he doesn’t win?

More importantly, what happened to "American Idol" simply being a competition for totally unknown or undiscovered artists? What fueled the fantasy for the audience was the concept that anyone — the waitress down the street who had a nice voice — could suddenly become a superstar. It was one thing when Carly Smithson (nee Hennessey) was revealed to have released an album five years ago. But for Cook to have one out now, I think, disqualifies him as a true competitor.

And P.S.: Isn’t this some strange way to get around the "American Idol" contract for management and a recording contract? In the past, "Idol" contestants had to agree to be managed by 19 Entertainment and give BMG first right of refusal for their albums. But a digitally available album made before the show and released before the winner is known? Hmmm…Seems like that bartender from Omaha was smarter even than wily Simon Cowell.

foxnews.com

[Moonshot]

Seacrest’s ‘Idol’ future may not be so secure
A market research put a lot of focus on Ryan Seacrest, leading some to wonder if the “American
By Courtney Hazlett
The Scoop
updated 11:11 p.m. ET, Mon., April. 28, 2008

It’s no secret that “American Idol” ratings have taken a turn for the worse this year, so it stands to reason that Fox would start wondering aloud about what can be done to reverse momentum.

An online market research survey was issued last week and, while the suits behind the show probe every aspect of the broadcast, there is a noticeable focus on “Idol” host Ryan Seacrest.

While all of the main players were included in the question, “How important are each of the following people to your overall enjoyment of ‘American Idol’?” the survey asks participants to weigh in on two extra statements: “I like the interaction between Ryan and the contestants” and  “I like the interaction between the judges and Ryan.”
Story continues below ↓advertisement

The extra focus has some wondering whether a hosting change might be exactly what the show needs. “Ryan is so busy turning himself into a diverse brand, one that has longevity, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to think that he isn’t worried about his job security with ‘Idol,’” said a source close to Seacrest.

Reps for the “Idol” host didn’t comment as to whether Seacrest had been approached at all about a changing role on the show, but one “Idol” source did explain the questions, saying that they “fall under the leave-no-stone-unturned category more than anything else.”

msnbc.com

[Moonshot]

Found this video of AI Executive Producer at VFTW.com:

Nigel is in the black coat

He was part of something called "The Young Generation Song and Dance Troup"

Here's another one:

you'll see him about :59 in

[Moonshot]

Worcester piano man shares keys to ‘Idol’ singers’ success
By Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 - Updated 1h ago

Another contestant will get booted off “American Idol” tonight, but according to associate musical director Michael Orland, it doesn’t really matter.

“I used to get really, really devastated over who got kicked off the show,” said Orland, a Worcester homey who has been with the Fox mega-hit since the end of season one.

“But after Clay Aiken in season two, it turned out that you didn’t have to win to have a career. Jennifer Hudson was the best example of that. She was voted off sixth from the end and she won an Oscar. Chris Daughtry was fourth from the end. It’s feasible that every single one of the top 12 this year could have a recording career. So I stopped getting emotionally attached to where everyone finishes.”

Orland, who grew up in Worcester and got his musical start taking piano lessons from “Mrs. Siegel down the street” is the man at the piano during the “Idol” rehearsals and celebrity mentoring sessions. He plays for the contestants, does the musical arrangements - and so much more.

“I’m a part-time coach, part-time therapist, friend, everything. Whatever it takes to make the contestants as great as they can be,” Orland told the Track.

A former rehearsal pianist for Barry Manilow, Orland got the call to “Idol” in the first season after some of his Manilow colleagues were hired for the then-unknown reality program. After initially turning the gig down because he had promised “Golden Girl” Estelle Getty he’d come to her house on the same night, Orland got called to play for the finale of the first season - and has been there ever since.

But don’t try to make him pick an all-time favorite contestant.

“I couldn’t name one,” he said. “Although my favorite, growth-wise, was Kimberly Locke. She learned and grew so much during her four months on that show.”

As for the current crop of Idol wannabes, Orland says he has no idea who will be the last man - or woman - standing.

“I love every single one of these contestants,” he said. “It’s like asking a father which one of his kids he likes the best.”

Orland said he’s a “huge fan” of the last singer voted off - the ever-so-emo Brooke White.

“The thing I love about Brooke is that she wears her heart on her sleeve,” he said. “You can see how vulnerable she is. I think she did a great job.”

Syesha Mercado, the only gal left in the running, is improving by the week and the more good performances she has “the more confidence she builds,” Orland said.

David Archuleta “has been amazing since day one,” and rocker David Cook has “grown every week.”

As for the ever-so-laid-back Jason Castro, Orland said he’s “a great person with a great style.”

“Girls love him, little kids love him, the reaction from the fans when he comes out is crazy,” he said. “He’s definitely got something.”

Read the rest at bostonherald.com

[Moonshot]

   'Idol' vocal coach is never idle as she guides the apprehensive contestants
UNION-TRIBUNE

May 9, 2008

In conversation, Debra Byrd is a whirlwind. A fast-talking force of nature for whom the laws of punctuation do not always apply. But in her role as the first “American Idol” vocal coach, the woman everyone calls “Byrd” is the calm center of a pop-culture storm. The “Idol” contestants have to listen to the judges, but when they are so stressed they can't hear themselves think, they talk to Debra Byrd.

“Often, they will second-guess themselves because the judges will be split in how they feel about a performance,” Byrd said by phone from Los Angeles. “Randy may hate it. Simon may love it. Paula's gonna love it. And if she doesn't love it, she's kind about how she doesn't love it. A lot of times, they'll get mixed signals on Wednesday night, and then on Thursday morning, they'll have to pick their next song.

“On Thursday morning, I will say to them, 'Did you understand what the judges said to you? How did you feel about what the judges said to you?' And we'll open a discussion about it, so they can purge it. It's very important that they don't have it festering inside, and that they have someone who can hear their side of the story.”

Packed with more guest stars than an evening of “Idol Gives Back,” Byrd's story starts in Cleveland, where she began studying opera at 12 and spent her high school years juggling church choirs, an R&B band and a madrigal group. Her first big job came in the '70s, when she was hired as a backup singer for Barry Manilow, a partnership that is still going strong today.

After Barry came, well, everybody. Bob Dylan. Lyle Lovett. The Eurythmics. Roberta Flack. Byrd has performed, toured or recorded with all of them. She has also sung on film soundtracks and performed in “Barry Manilow on Broadway” and in touring versions of “Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring In 'Da Funk” and “Ain't Misbehavin'.”

But sometimes, a body in motion needs to stop. So when she was offered the job as a vocal coach for a new Los Angeles-based competitive-reality show, Byrd took it. Not just because the job was intriguing, but also because it offered her the exotic opportunity to sleep in her own bed.

“I said, 'Well, I don't know what 'American Idol' is, but count me in,' ” Byrd said with a gravelly chuckle. “So it's been seven seasons of 'American Idol,' five seasons of 'Canadian Idol,' two seasons of 'Military Idol' and one season of 'American Juniors.' It worked out just fine.”

Byrd and the rest of the “Idol” musical team help the contestants arrange their songs to suit their voices and edit their songs to fit the show's time constraints. And once the song is ready to roll, everyone can only hope the singer will have time to learn it.

“There is a mentor shoot, recording of the video for Ford (“Idol” sponsor Ford Motors), photo shoots, interviews, band rehearsal is in there somewhere. There is a group-song rehearsal. I didn't even mention clothing, the shopping and the alterations. It really is heavy duty. That's why Kelly Clarkson said, 'After you do 'American Idol,' you can do anything.' ”

Of all the potential disasters awaiting “Idol” contestants – the missed high notes, the unflattering clothes, the scandalous photos that come back to haunt them – the Curse of the Bad Song Choice is what judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell harp on the most. And because the songs have to fit the weekly theme and have the proper legal clearance, the decision-making can be perilous.

Pick the wrong song – as the judges thought the recently departed Brooke White did with “I'm a Believer” – and your days could be numbered. Pick the right song – as the now-departed Kristy Lee Cook did last month with “God Bless the USA” – and you could buy yourself a few extra weeks on the big “Idol” stage.”

“I always say that finding the correct song choice for you is like shopping for clothing,” Byrd said. “You know if those jeans look great on you, you know if you look hot or if you look horrible. Picking that song is the exact same thing. You need a song that is tailor-made for you, and your mission is to find it.”

And just like everyone needs a friend who will tell them the truth about those acid-wash jeans and those gold stilettos, “Idol” singers need someone who will make them step away from the Whitney.

“I will never B.S. them,” Byrd said. “I tell them, 'If you sound fabulous, I will say so. If you don't, I will say so.' I've had a few contestants say to me, 'Aren't you paid to tell me that I sound good?' What? No. I'm paid to be honest.”

She may be honest, but when asked about the strengths of this year's contestants, Byrd chose to speak about the group as a whole.

“The common denominator is courage,” Byrd said. “Because it takes a lot to stand on a stage in front of millions of people and be ridiculed. It's very heart-wrenching. They are all unique.”

But when she was asked which contestants have blown her away, Byrd was ready to sing the praises of the people who have made this vocal guru stop and listen.

“David Cook stunned me the first song he did. He stunned me in a great way. Fantasia stunned me. Kelly Clarkson stunned me. Chris Daughtry. Carrie Underwood. LaToya London. Elliott Yamin. They were all willing to take a risk, vocally, musically, with their song choice. They are visionaries.”

signonsandiego.com

[Moonshot]

American Idol creator Simon Fuller to marry

Natalie Swanston and Simon FullerSimon Fuller — the man who created American Idol and the Spice Girls — is set to marry his long-term girlfriend.

The pop svengali, 47, will wed fiancee Natalie Swanston in a multi-million dollar, three-day ceremony in California’s Napa Valley at the end of the month.

A source said: “Simon is a very private man, but after dating Natalie for a few years he has finally popped the question. Money is no object so it’s going to be one hell of a party.”

Those thought to attend the plush do, include, Claudia Schiffer, Leona Lewis, the Spice Girls, David Beckham and Simon Cowell. Prince Charles and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown are expected to send good luck messages.

Fuller — whose worth an estimated $900m — was last year named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME magazine.

By Owen Williams, May 09 2008 © Copyright 2008 - Showbiz Spy

showbizspy.com

[Moonshot]

May 12, 2008 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

FremantleMedia Enterprises Partners With Delivery Agent to Re-Launch “American Idol” Online Stores

Enhanced Online Retail Experience Provides One-Stop Shopping for Exclusive Fan Gear and Apparel

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Delivery Agent, the leader in shopping-enabled entertainment, has signed an exclusive online agreement with FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) to manage all e-commerce needs for America’s #1 television show at www.americanidol.com and www.SeenON.com. Among other enhancements, the deal will provide a new, all-inclusive “American Idol” shopping experience for consumers to easily purchase exclusive fan gear and apparel like never before.

The agreement gives FME complete access to Delivery Agent’s highly sophisticated shopping platform, including a full e-commerce engine, targeted ad serving, and Shopisodes® -- an advanced video shopping application.

“‘American Idol’ has broken the reality TV mold and created a fully interactive program forming an intimate connection between the fans and the show,” said Mike Fitzsimmons, CEO of Delivery Agent. “Our online retail environment will further close the loop on the show’s interactivity.”

“Fashion is a very important part of the ‘American Idol’ brand,” said Jason Turner, Sr. Director of Interactive for FME in the United States. “Now, through our partnership with Delivery Agent, we can provide our fans with the state-of-the-art online shopping experience they deserve.”

AmericanIdol.com, a unit of Fox Interactive Media, is the most-visited broadcast network television show Web site among a category of selected shows from the six leading broadcast networks, according to Hitwise, the leading online competitive intelligence service measuring 10 million U.S. Internet users.

About Delivery Agent, Inc.

Delivery Agent, Inc. (www.deliveryagent.com) is the leader in shopping-enabled programming and content monetization for more than 125 entertainment properties from major media companies such as ABC, CBS, NBC Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, MTV Networks, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Boston Celtics, UFC, and The Weinstein Company. Delivery Agent created the market for shopping-enabled programming by redefining how products related to entertainment are cataloged, merchandised and sold online. Since its inception in 2001, Delivery Agent has deployed its comprehensive technology platform, including e-commerce applications, video and mobile products, and interactive advertising solutions to create profitable connections among entertainment content, consumers and brands. To date, the company has developed a network of more than 90 distinct branded shopping sites for its partners and its own SeenON!™ (www.SeenON.com), the definitive online shopping destination for products seen on screen.

About American Idol:

American Idol is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, founder of 19 Entertainment; and executive-produced by Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia North America; Nigel Lythgoe, President, 19 Television; and Ken Warwick, Executive Producer, FremantleMedia North America.

About FremantleMedia Enterprises & FremantleMedia

FremantleMedia Enterprises is the brand extension arm of FremantleMedia, offering a one-stop-shop for all Licensing, Distribution and Home Entertainment. It is a division of FremantleMedia, one of the largest international creators and producers of entertainment brands in the world with leading prime time drama, serial drama, entertainment and factual entertainment programming in over 40 countries worldwide. FremantleMedia is a subsidiary of RTL Group, Europe's largest television and radio broadcast company, which is 90% owned by Bertelsmann AG, an integrated media and entertainment company that commands leading positions in the world's media markets. For further information, visit http://www.fremantlemedia.com.

ABOUT 19 ENTERTAINMENT

The 19 Group of Companies was founded by Simon Fuller in 1985 and has achieved over 40 No. 1 singles and 15 No. 1 albums. Fuller also has an impressive tally of over 60 Top-40 albums and 170 Top-40 singles in the UK alone. Fuller created and managed the Spice Girls, who became a global phenomenon under his guidance, selling over 38 million albums. In 1998, Fuller’s 19 launched S Club 7, which has sold 10 million CDs worldwide, while its three television series to date have consistently topped children’s viewing figures, reaching 104 countries. In 2001, Simon Fuller’s 19TV created and produced the television phenomenon “Pop Idol” and in 2002, AMERICAN IDOL. “Pop Idol” launched the singing careers of Will Young and Gareth Gates in the UK, while AMERICAN IDOL did the same for Carrie Underwood, Fantasia Barrino, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks and Ruben Studdard in the United States.

Contacts

For Delivery Agent, Inc.
Michelle Forrest, 310-487-3177
mforrest@deliveryagent.com

businesswire.com

[Moonshot]

Blake Lewis blames Idol producer Lythgoe for Sanjaya

Posted Apr 2nd 2008 3:22PM by Jason Hughes

Sanjaya and Shyamali MalakarI know this is going back to last year's American Idol, but in a recent radio interview, runner-up Blake Lewis blasted Sanjaya Malakar, saying the singer more famous for his hair than his voice should have never been on the show. In fact, he went on to say, "He had already gotten cut. [The judges were] like, 'You suck. You shouldn't be on the show. Then the producer [Nigel Lythgoe] put him back on." In fact, Lewis said he only made it to Hollywood because his sister did; Shyamali Malakar got cut there. If this is true, does this speak to the integrity of the selection process? I realize it's a reality show as well as a competition so personalities are cast as well as talent, but wouldn't you still want the best singers represented? I guess not.

Every year there is criticism when certain contestants advance ahead of others, but as far as I can tell this is the first time a former contestant has come out and said much the same. "I got pissed every week because my buddies that are super-talented are going home and he's [still there]," he said about Sanjaya's improbable run to seventh place. Of course, once they hit the stage it's our choice, and our fault, how long they stay. But are the showrunners intentionally putting in sub-par performers to try and drum up press and controversy like they had last year with Sanjaya?

tvsquad.com


and here's the youtube of the radio interview

[Moonshot]

Simon Cowell says: Let's blow up 'American Idol'!
May 14, 2008

BY BILL ZWECKER Sun-Times Columnist

If you think Simon Cowell’s public criticism of the current season of ‘‘American Idol’’ — such as his recent comments to the celeb TV show ‘‘Extra’’ — were tough, you should hear what our favorite broadcast curmudgeon is saying behind the scenes.

The show returns at 8 tonight on WFLD-Channel 12 to narrow the three contestants to the final two.

‘‘The whole thing needs to be blown up,’’ Simon Cowell reportedly has told staff members of his show, "American Idol."

According to Cowell, the entire ‘‘Idol’’ concept needs a major overhaul. ‘‘The whole thing needs to be blown up,’’ Cowell reportedly has told staff members.

‘‘And if he had his druthers, and there weren’t all kinds of tightly-written contracts, Simon would love to see Paula [Abdul], Ryan [Seacrest] and even Randy [Jackson] replaced by fresh talent,’’ said a longtime ‘‘Idol’’ production exec, who asked not to be named, since that person was not authorized to speak for the show.

‘‘We need to come up a new way to find contestants, as well,’’ Cowell is quoted as saying at a recent staff meeting. ‘‘Everything we do needs to be examined ... including the sets, the audition process, the choice of musical genres for the final weeks of competition and even how we handle the audience [for the live performances] and say goodbye to the people eliminated,’’ said Cowell.

While ‘‘American Idol,’’ is still very popular, it has seen a significant drop-off in ratings this season — leading Cowell and other ‘‘Idol’’ honchos to begin thinking of ways to re-invigorate their very valuable franchise. Reportedly, Cowell has also raised the idea of bringing in a secondary — and
female — ‘‘host’’ to work with Seacrest — similar to how ‘‘Dancing with the Stars’’ uses Samantha Harris to compliment Tom Bergeron.

Whatever happens, my ‘‘American Idol’’ sources say next season will see some major changes — ‘‘to give us a new lease on life,’’ said one insider.

suntimes.com

[Moonshot]

2008-05-16

Nielsen Reveals Data Trends for American Idol

NEW YORK, May 16: Ahead of the finale of FOX’s American Idol next week, The Nielsen Company has released data trends about the hit reality talent competition show and its contestants, with the 35-to-49 demographic comprising nearly 29 percent of the total audience for the series’ seventh season.

According to Nielsen, the most-watched episode this season was the premiere episode on Tuesday, January 15, which averaged 33 million viewers. American Idol's highest viewership was season five, where more than 30 million people watched on average, compared to 12 million the first season and 27 million this current season. The east central part of the U.S. has the highest viewing levels above the national average, while the southwest has the lowest viewing levels below average. Overall, the most-watched American Idol episode was the final hour of season two on Wednesday, May 21, 2003; more than 38 million viewers tuned in live to watch the face-off between winner Ruben Studdard and runner-up Clay Aiken.

On the interactive front, according to Nielsen Mobile, the average American Idol participant voted via text message 38 times in April. Women tend to vote via text with greater frequency than men; in April, female voters of American Idol submitted 44 percent more text-message votes than their male counterparts. Voting by text is only available to AT&T subscribers. Male contestants David Cook, David Archuleta and Jason Castro dominated the show's consumer discussion online this season, with 14.3 percent, 12.5 percent and 10.5 percent buzz volume, respectively. The most popular American Idol contestant from opinions and feedback from Hey! Nielsen's online panel is Carrie Underwood, while David Archuleta is this season's most popular contender. Web traffic to American Idol websites saw the most unique visitors in March 2007. Of the top ten months ranked by unique visitors, viewers spent the most amount of time on American Idol websites during season five, where time spent per person was more than ten minutes during the months of March, April and May 2006.

During 2007, American Idol featured 4,349 product placement occurrences. So far, the number of placements in 2008 is surging—the program racked up 3,291 occurrences the first three months of 2008 alone. Coca-Cola was the top American Idol advertiser during the seventh season for the first quarter of 2008, followed by AT&T and Ford. Procter & Gamble and Apple rounded out the top five. All five of these companies have advertised on American Idol since 2002 and, with the exception of Apple, all of them also held slots among the top five American Idol advertisers in the sixth season

Kelly Clarkson is the best-selling American Idol contestant, with album and digital download sales of 18.9 million, followed by Carrie Underwood in second place with album and digital download sales of 15.7 million. Clay Aiken rounds out the top three with album and digital download sales of 4.8 million and digital download sales of 469,000. Until 2006, when the winner was Taylor Hicks, each season's American Idol champ sold at least 1 million copies on his or her debut album.

—By Irene Lew

 

worldscreen.com

[Moonshot]

On 'Idol,' good singers make for a dull season

By LYNN ELBER – 2 hours ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — This season of "American Idol" had talented singers, a doe-eyed teenage contestant for the prepubescent crowd, visits from pop royalty, stinging comments from Simon Cowell and jaw-droppers from Paula Abdul.

So why have some fans and observers found it a dull slog as the show builds to its David Archuleta vs. David Cook finale next Wednesday?

Because contestants who were good but not memorable made for mediocre television, watchers say. Where was the drama, the unpredictability, the oddball personalities? In short, where was the fun?

Such criticism is ironic given the heat "Idol" took last year when Sanjaya Malakar, more a hairstyle than a singer, held the spotlight. Or the reaction when dancin' man Taylor Hicks won the title in 2006, trading as much on charm as skill.

Producers of the Fox show made an effort this year to go for vocal gold over glitz, and this is the thanks they get — along with remaining the No. 1 show, albeit with slimmer ratings.

"The only thing that kept the entire thing from being excruciatingly boring was (apparent frontrunner) Michael Johns being voted off and the shiver it seemed to send through everyone," observed regular "Idol" viewer Mike Anderson of Yakima, Wash.

"Because the talent level was so high, nothing anyone did was surprising," Anderson said.

Maybe not quite high enough: No one, not even teen fave Archuleta or Cook, came close to equaling what Anderson calls LaKisha Jones "blowout performance" of "And I'm Telling You" last season. Fantasia Barrino's stunning rendition of "Summertime" in season three also remains a singular achievement.

Dave Della Terza has long relished mocking "American Idol" on his Web site, votefortheworst.com, but counts himself among this season's disappointed viewers.

"In past years people would ask, `Do you hate "American Idol?"' I'd say it's fun to make fun of, it's so bad," he said. "But this year, honestly, I'm so sick of the show. ... It's almost a chore to watch at this point."

He's hearing the same thing from visitors to his site and seeing it in the numbers, with traffic down about 50 percent.

A major complaint cited by Della Terza: The contestants have remained cyphers. In other words, Jason Castro's dreadlocks showed more character than any contestant.

"What do you really know about David Cook? All you really know about David Archuleta is his dad is annoying," Della Terza said, referring to reports of backstage meddling.

"I think that's why Sanjaya was so successful. Every week, he was coming out and showing personality. He flourished in a crowd of people who didn't have personalities," Della Terza said.

"American Idol" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe isn't buying the criticism. He says the talent this year has been "phenomenal" and he expects the David vs. David finale will be the "humdinger" that judge Cowell colorfully predicted last week.

The audience for "American Idol" has dropped by about 8 percent from the nearly 31 million viewers who watched last year. But there's been a general erosion in TV viewership, partly blamed on the writer's strike, with the big four networks drawing about 9 percent fewer viewers in April and May so far than during the same period last year. "Idol" has withstood the downturn better than many other hit series, such as "Grey's Anatomy," down about 20 percent.

Lythgoe dismissed the contention that viewers weren't allowed to get up close and personal with contestants.

Take runner-up Syesha Mercado: "We know that her father had drug and alcohol issues. We know what she was experiencing. After that, there are personal (boundaries)."

Lythgoe maintains that even before Sanjaya Malakar became a topic of discussion, he and fellow producers realized the show was "losing focus" and needed to give precedence to the contest and follow-ups on past finalists like Barrino and Clay Aiken.

"It's not about the judges, the mentors, anybody with a record coming out," he said.

For a show that makes an art of product placement, however, an old artist with a new CD to promote still represents a viable commodity. Neil Diamond was among this year's fusty but famous visitors, graciously offering advice to contestants (some of whom proceeded to mangle his work anyway).

Bruce Flohr, a former record company executive now with Red Light Management, is an "Idol" admirer but said the show has to do a better job of weeding out lesser singers who make it too easy to guess who will make it through to the end.

"Part of the problem is people are starting to use the show as a vehicle to stardom, whether they truly want to sing or not," he said.

Newer artists and music also would help freshen the formula, Flohr suggested.

Absolutely, said Della Terza of votefortheworst, who questions how asking contestants to sing songs from the 1960s or '70s can translate into "a current marketable recording artist."

"This year overdid it with old songs and barely let the contestants sing anything that they would actually put on a record," he said.

Producer Lythgoe responds that finding a young artist with an impressive enough body of work to be covered by a dozen contestants is no easy task. Besides challenging the young singers — which he says makes for compelling TV — the classics remain worthy, he adds.

"You can't beat Stevie Wonder. Look at that catalog," Lythgoe said. "And history teaches us so much."

But the show can't ignore one particularly ominous ratings sign, although Lythgoe contends it's cyclical and reversible: The median age of an "American Idol" viewer, once in the mid-30s, is now up to 42 as viewership by teenagers and women age 18 to 34 has dropped.

One beneficiary of the "Idol" machine, Hicks, remains upbeat about it. He's headed to Broadway to join the cast of "Grease" next month.

"The idea and the dream is still alive in that show," Hicks said. "American Idol" has the ability to "cultivate a talent to put them on their way to becoming a great entertainer and a great performer, a musician, actor, whatever."

Bob Lefsetz isn't buying it. The music industry analyst says flatly that "the bloom is off the rose" after so many years.

"Even if the new Aretha Franklin came on," he said, "people would say, `Seen it. I'm going to watch something on YouTube.'"

Associated Press Writer Erin Carlson contributed to this report.

ap.google.com

[Moonshot]

Musicians union sues `American Idol' producers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A musicians union has filed a federal lawsuit against the producers of "American Idol," claiming musicians were underpaid because the show's live music was re-recorded for reruns.

The American Federation of Musicians filed the suit seeking unspecified damages Thursday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, alleging that American Idol Productions Inc. and its subsidiary Tick Tock Productions Inc. violated a collective bargaining agreement.

That contract says the show's musicians should be paid royalties for rebroadcasts of the show, the lawsuit said.

The producers are required to pay 75 percent of scale to musicians who appear in the original show and rehearsals, plus 10 percent of that pay to a union pension fund, with decreasing percentages for each rebroadcast, according to court papers.

In 2007, the producers started cutting out the show's soundtrack and using different musicians to re-record new music for the past-season highlights show "American Idol Rewind," the lawsuit said.

The union was not informed of the recording, according to court papers.

Phone messages left Thursday night with a representative for American Idol Productions were not returned.

ap.google.com

[Moonshot]

`American Idol' adds DioGuardi as fourth judge




NEW YORK (AP) — Scoot over, Simon Cowell. "American Idol" is adding a fourth critic to its panel of judges.

Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi will sit alongside Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson when the eighth season of "American Idol" premieres in January, the Fox network said Monday.

"For the past seven seasons, Paula has had to endure the experience of being the only woman at the judges' table," said Mike Darnell, president, alternative programming of Fox, in a statement.

"With Kara by her side, Paula has some backup and now there is going to be a lot more `girl power' on the show," Darnell said.

DioGuardio's songs have been recorded by Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood and Pink, among others.

"We are turning the heat up on `Idol' this year and are thrilled to welcome Kara to the judges' table," said creator and executive producer Simon Fuller in a statement. "She is a smart, sassy lady, and one of America's most successful songwriters. We know she will bring a new level of energy and excitement to the show."

Executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz said a fourth judge isn't a new idea.

"We had originally intended for `American Idol' to have four judges," she said. "We've seen from our international series that having a fourth judge creates a dynamic that benefits both the contestants and the viewers."

Fox is a unit of News Corp.

[Moonshot]

Despite Lower Ratings, Cash Flow Rises for ‘Idol’
Ray Mickshaw/Fox

The audience for “American Idol” has declined in each of the last three years, but the show remains the highest-rated on TV.

By EDWARD WYATT
Published: May 10, 2009

LOS ANGELES — Can a television show with a shrinking audience actually increase its revenue?

In the case of “American Idol,” the answer is yes, and the manner that the show’s creators are going about it could change the way that producers and broadcast networks think about the longevity of reality television programs.

Despite losing viewers in each of the last three years, “American Idol,” still the top-rated series on television, is generating ever-growing profits for its creators and, it appears, for Fox Broadcasting through brand extensions, marketing arrangements and licensing fees.

The deals, which include products as disparate as ice cream and trading cards, as well as the more familiar partnerships with iTunes and AT&T, have driven tremendous growth in the profitability of “American Idol,” according to the public financial statements of the parent of 19 Entertainment, the company founded by Simon Fuller, the creator of the show.

Those financial statements include documents that break down how revenue is split among Fox, 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia, the production company behind the show.

“They are just raking in the money, hand over fist,” said Brad Adgate, a senior vice president for research at Horizon Media. “There are certain things that ‘American Idol’ does not do well, like selling DVDs. But the whole industry is moving toward a different model where deciding whether something is a hit or not is not just based on how much you charge for 30 seconds of advertising.”

While everyone in television, from Ben Silverman, the co-chairman of NBC, to the youth-centric programmers at MTV, is trying to find ways to increase profits as television audiences decline, “American Idol” is taking its cues not from the traditional broadcasting playbook but from the National Football League.

“We have learned the lessons of the sports leagues in that they have all these ancillary revenue streams,” said Robert F. X. Sillerman, chief executive of CKX Inc., the parent of 19 Entertainment. “And frankly, we’re just beginning.”

David Lunar, a senior vice president for interactive and consumer products at FremantleMedia, which produces the program in partnership with 19 Entertainment, said this year that the company had experienced “eight straight years of growth” in licensing and merchandising.

That is particularly noteworthy given that, according to Nielsen Media Research, the average audience for “American Idol” peaked three years ago, at more than 30 million viewers an episode. This season, each episode is attracting about 25 million viewers an episode.

Advertising revenue, which primarily benefits Fox Broadcasting, has grown in each of the last three years, according to TNS Media Intelligence, to $903 million last year. That is nearly double the level of three years earlier. Those figures do not include Fox’s ancillary sponsorship deals and other income, like royalties it receives from the sale of music performances by “Idol” contestants.

Even though “American Idol’s” ratings have declined, Fox has put more hours of the show on the air and has been able to charge a higher rate as its ratings lead over other shows has grown.

The revenue and profits of 19 Entertainment have grown even more quickly, according to the financial statements of CKX. Its revenues from “American Idol” alone grew to $96 million last year from $67 million two years earlier, with gross profit margins expanding to 77 percent from 69 percent in that span.

Including revenue from “Idol” programming in other countries, from music sales related to all the “Idol” shows and from “So You Think You Can Dance,” also on Fox, 19 Entertainment produced revenue of $223 million last year, up from $151 million two years earlier.

Fremantle does not break out its revenue, and a spokesman for the company declined to comment on its financial performance. But contracts included in the CKX financial statements stipulate that Fremantle receive one-third to one-half of the various revenue streams that benefit 19 Entertainment.

Even though the overall audience is declining, “American Idol” appears to be in little danger of losing its crown as the top-rated television series. In the 2003-4 season, the first in which “Idol” was the top-rated prime-time series, its lead over the second place show was about 7 percent. That margin has grown every year since and this year is 66 percent.

Mike Darnell, the president of alternative entertainment for Fox, who oversees “Idol” and other reality shows for the network, said that “Idol” could lose 12 percent of its audience every season and still be among the top 10 shows on television in 2016 — even if every other show on television maintained all of its current audience.

Fox, too, benefits from the brand extensions. Its Fox Reality Channel televises “American Idol Rewind,” which repeats segments from earlier seasons along with previously unseen footage of noteworthy contestants, and it has turned drama series like “House” and “Fringe” into hits by pairing them with “Idol” for a season or two.

While some programs, like “The Simpsons,” generate large revenue from merchandising and marketing deals separate from the broadcast, “they don’t have the audience delivery or all the hoopla of ‘American Idol,’ ” said Mr. Adgate. “I don’t think there are any reality shows that have a similar, off-network shelf life.”

Mr. Darnell declined to comment on just how much Fox benefited from those and similar efforts. “But I can say the brand extension is huge for this company and for all the companies involved with the show,” he said.

There is evidence that the efforts, if not drawing more people to the program, are certainly getting viewers more engaged. Last week, viewers cast 64 million votes, the most ever for a nonfinale episode.

Mr. Sillerman cited that jump as evidence that “American Idol” could run indefinitely.

“If you only had a 10-year-old, you would probably say the impact of ‘Sesame Street’ has diminished, because it’s not on in your house anymore,” Mr. Sillerman said. “But they’re making new 5-year-olds every year.”

nytimes.com

[Moonshot]

SIMON OFFERED $144 MIL A YEAR TO STAY ON 'IDOL'
By MAXINE SHEN

Last updated: 10:42 am
June 30, 2009

EARLY salary figures from Simon Cowell's "American Idol" contract negotiations are leaking out and they're eye-popping.

Cowell, who reportedly made $36 million last year for judging the hit competition show, has been offered three or four times that amount -- between $100 million and $144 million per year -- by co-producers Fox and 19 Entertainment to stick with "Idol" when his contract expires next May, according to The Guardian, a London newpaper.

Fox declined yesterday to comment about the salary negotiations.

While $36 million may seem like a lot of money for five months worth of snarky comments and eye-rolls, it's only a fraction of the estimated $900 million that "Idol" rakes in a year. As the lynchpin of the show -- without him there would be no one to hate and no dramatic tension with Paula Abdul -- Cowell believes he's due for a raise.

To get more of the pie, he's been leaning on long-time friend and UK retail multibillionaire Sir Philip Green -- who owns hot fashion franchise Top Shop -- for help negotiating the terms of what would be a new "Idol" contract, reports say. Green is said to be lobbying hard for an increase in Cowell's appearance fee on the show.

Sources close to the two friends say that this is just the first step to the creation of an international TV production, talent management and merchandising company, which would put Cowell in a position to actually make money off his ideas and the talent he discovers, not just reap a salary for having his mug on screen.

"This is about properly owning himself, Brand Cowell, everything he does, new formats and new programs, not just the ones starring him," a source close to Green told The Guardian.

Entertainment wiz Cowell, who signed international "popera" act Il Divo, is likely to run the creative end while Green, Britain's ninth wealthiest person, will focus on financial issues.

"Idol" is only one of Cowell's TV contracts which are on the verge of expiring. His three-year deal, which spawned hits "Britain's Got Talent" and "The X-Factor," with UK's ITV, ends this year.

nypost.com