Beyond Judges: 'American Idol' Rumored For Major Downsizing
Beyond Judges: 'American Idol' Rumored For Major Downsizing
Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez are leaving Fox's "American
Idol" apparently of their own volition.  Others may not make
exits quite so ceremonious, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
THR claims that with ratings making a 25-percent slip during the
eleventh season, and still drawing around 20 million tune-ins,
ad revenue remains down. Sources say that's ushering in reduced
staff, budget cuts and trimmed salaries to keep the show viable.
Advertising rates for the previous season reportedly hovered
between $468,100 and $502,900 for a 30-second spot of airtime.
Despite being a decrease, those rates were second-highest only
to ESPN's Sunday Night Football rates. Each episode costs Fox
and Fremantle roughly $2 million to produce.  Since word of
Tyler and Lopez's exits broke, so too has word of the current
considered replacements - none of them exactly falling in line
with the reported more e