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 American
Idol Shows Signs of
Over Saturation
There
is concern in recent
weeks over plunging
ratings for the Fox
smash hit American
Idol, now in its
seventh season.
While still dominant
in the ratings, the
show has been losing
significant
viewership, and some
of that might have
to do with over
saturation and
expansion of the
result show into a
one hour format.
"The
kids who normally
watch this show have
homework to do,"
says Payton O'Brien,
Senior Editor of the
Gambling911.com
website. "No
time to be watching
American Idol for
this long a period."
The
results show had
been expanded to one
hour from its past
half hour format.
Audience declines
for "American Idol"
are steepest among
youthful viewers,
the people who set
the pop culture
agenda and are most
likely to buy music
made by the show's
winners. These are
not the people you
want to turn off.
Another concern is
the lopsided talent
pool that became
most obvious after
Australian Michael
Johns got booted off
prematurely during
"American Idol Gives
Back" Week.
"Michael Johns had
an edge so many
people were looking
forward to a Michael
vs. The Two Davids
showdown in the
final three," said
O'Brien, referring
to David Cook and
David Archuleta,
both favorites to
win.
Both
Davids are far
superior to the
remaining two
contestants: Jason
Castro and Syesha
Mercado, or at least
it seems up until
this point.
Many viewers have
suggested they will
wait to start
watching again until
the final airing,
presuming both
Davids will be there
duking it out.
Gamblers can bet
either David
at -110 odds for the
most part,
meaning you would
have to wager $11 to
win $10. The
original bet amount
($11) would be paid
out only if the Idol
you have selected
wins.
Make no mistake,
"American Idol" is
still the biggest
thing on television.
It is the reason why
Fox will end the TV
season later this
month as the
nation's
most-watched network
for the first time
in history,
according to an
Associated Press
report.
The
show is averaging
28.7 million viewers
this year, according
to Nielsen Media
Research. That's
down 7 percent from
the nearly 31
million viewers who
watched last year.
It's also typical —
maybe better than
typical: in this
writers
strike-marred
season, "CSI: Crime
Scene Investigation"
has shed 19 percent
of its viewers,
"Grey's Anatomy" is
down 20 percent and
"Survivor" is off 9
percent from last
spring's edition.
"We're not in denial
that the ratings are
down," said Preston
Beckman, Fox's chief
scheduling
executive. "There
are things that we
can control, and
there are things
that we can't
control. I defy
anyone to show you a
hit show that has
been on for seven
seasons that is at
the level this one
is on relative to
where it started."
Likewise, for the
Gambling911.com
website, which is
the authority when
it comes to American
Idol betting news,
traffic has never
been better.
But
changes are likely
in the next season.
"American Idol"
needs no such
overhaul. But the
slippage has been
noted and will be
responded to, said
the Fox executives.
"We've never been
apathetic about the
show, nor have the
producers," Darnell
said. "Every year
there have been
changes."
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