Free Republic

American Idol ratings hit a series low last week, dropping to a 1.4 in the desirable 18-49 demographic. Even when head to head competition with The Voice was no longer a threat (the rival show aired a special results show at 8 pm) the numbers stayed flat this week. Once the highly rated FOX show, Empire left the Wednesday night lineup, the show began to falter. The Wrap notes, however, that Idol is still ahead of the final season of the cancelled X Factor. Heading into this week the two regular editions of “Idol” were averaging a combined 2.9 rating...

I haven’t done the math, but just spitballing it, I’ve spent somewhere in the vicinity of 800+ hours watching “American Idol” over the past 13 seasons. Do you know what you can accomplish in 800 hours?! Okay, i’m terrible at math, but that’s more than a month of my life on the couch watching everyone from Kelly Clarkson to that “Pants on the Ground” guy, Phillip Phillips and everyone in between.Bottom line is this: I know “Idol,” and so I feel perfectly comfortable saying that next season should be the show’s swan song. After 20 percent audience dips for the...

A new analysis from Variety reminds us that Ryan Seacrest’s contract to host American Idol is up at the end of the year. The question is, will he re-up in light of the aging show’s diminishing ratings? His contract with NBC is also up at the end of 2014.During his last negotiations, Ryan signed a two year contract at 30 million dollars. One way for the producers to cut costs would be to hirer a younger host for less money. With the judges panel constantly in flux the past few years, would it be a good idea to cut Ryan...

Former “American Idol” runner-up Clay Aiken officially filed Thursday to run for Congress in North Carolina, saying that he wants to help end the gridlock in Washington and that no single political party has all the answers. The performer, a Democrat, turned in his paperwork at the State Board of Elections to seek the 2nd District seat currently held by Republican Renee Ellmers. Aiken, who lives in the Raleigh-Durham area, announced his bid three weeks ago and must first try to win the Democratic primary in less than 10 weeks. …

American Idol had made billions of dollars in profits over the years. Now comes word that the hugely successful show will be operating in the red this year for the first time in it's history, TMZ is reporting. It all has to do with 'the bottom line' which includes the fat salaries paid to keep it's bigger stars Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Seacrest happy. Jennifer inked an incredible $17.5 million deal to return to her post a third season, as MailOnline previously revealed, a substantial raise from the $15 million she was making when she left the show in 2012....

So Clay Aiken is running for Congress, and he's off to a good start with messaging, when asked if he had a slogan he gave a pretty incoherent answer.I've got one for him.

American Idol has recaptured its magic, and Harry Connick Jr. is responsible for casting the spell. On the Season 13 premiere Wednesday, the new Idol judge not only obliterated the memory of last year's mockery of a panel, but also revitalized the spirit of the show. It's an impressive feat when you consider that Idol has been on a downward trajectory when it comes to ratings and its image. Although it's still too early to tell if Connick's charms will translate into an uptick in viewership, we're completely sold on him. What's so great about the new Idol judge? Here...

Carrie Underwood has come quite far since winning American Idol in 2005—and it’s safe to say the show has made good on its titular promise.Underwood tops this year’s list of the highest-paid Idol alums, pulling in $31 million thanks to platinum-selling Blown Away, extensive touring and endorsement deals with the likes of Olay. Not only is that more than any Idol contestant, but it exceeds the annual earnings of last year’s judges Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban.All in all, Underwood has earned $83 million over the past five years, and she’s one of many acts continuing to profit...

As American Idol begins its 13th season with a new judges' panel, new producers and a whole new slew of hopefuls, the show's business practices are under scrutiny as a discrimination lawsuit filed by 10 black former contestants continues to wind its way to court. The plaintiffs, all of whom were disqualified from the show over six seasons for reasons other than singing -- including criminal history -- were recently issued notices of "right to sue" by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, allowing the 429-page lawsuit they filed in July to move forward. In response, American Idol, FOX and the...

<p>The singer joins Keith Urban and Jennifer Lopez on the upcoming panel.</p> <p>Harry Connick Jr. is returning to American Idol -- this time, in a judge's seat.</p> <p>The singer, who has appeared on the Fox reality competition multiple times as a mentor and performer, is inking a deal to serve as a judge alongside Keith Urban and Jennifer Lopez on the upcoming 13th season, a source close to the show tells The Hollywood Reporter.</p>

Ten black former American Idol contestants from various seasons have filed a lawsuit against the show, claiming that they were eliminated from the competition due to a racist ratings scheme, TMZ.com reports. New York attorney James H. Freeman, representing the plaintiffs, says he began investigating the show after Jermaine Jones was kicked off on March 15, 2012, because he didn't inform producers about multiple outstanding warrants for his arrest. Freeman then discovered that throughout Idol's then-11-season run, only nine other people had been publically disqualified. And as it turns out, all of them happened to be black.

"They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Ben Franklin is much quoted in today's debate on the trade-off between freedom and security, as we learn about the National Security Agency's easy access to our phone records and emails. Yet we Americans have often sacrificed liberty for safety. In World War II, Korea and Vietnam, we conscripted millions of men and sent hundreds of thousands to their deaths fighting against Italians, Germans, Japanese, Koreans and Vietnamese. The greater antagonist of liberty is not the quest for security, but our insatiable...

On May 4, the town of Beverly, Massachusetts threw a huge parade and concert for 19-year-old “American Idol” contestant Angie Miller, who made the top three in the competition. “It’s a great chance to show off our fair city,” Mayor Bill Scanlon said. The city spent $31,200 on security, cleanup and other costs associated with the events, he said. So it must have looked like an odd contrast in American values when the town of Beverly, Massachusetts then canceled its parade for Memorial Day 23 days later, a tradition for more than 100 years. Thousands turned out for the pop...

<p>Short AP articles must be excerpted to 50% of content.</p>

The bad dream of a season for Fox’s “American Idol” ended Thursday with a ratings nightmare, as the singing competition lost a staggering 7 million viewers from last season’s finale. Thursday’s finale, in which Candice Glover won the coveted prize, averaged 14.3 million viewers, according to overnight ratings. That’s down a third from more than 21 million last year — and the news gets worse. Two years ago the finale had more than 29 million viewers, meaning “Idol” has shed half its audience in two years. And from Fox’s viewpoint, that’s not even the worst number. Thursday’s share of the...

Even if the reports are true that Fox wants to replace all four judges on American Idol next season, it doesn't matter to Randy Jackson. Jackson tells E! News exclusively that he's done with the show. "Yo! Yo! Yo! To put all of the speculation to the rest, after 12 years of judging on American Idol I have decided it is time to leave after this season," he says. "I am very proud of how we forever changed television and the music industry. It's been a life changing opportunity but I am looking forward to focusing on my company Dream...

Did Mariah Carey almost get voted off “American Idol”? According to report from The Hollywood Reporter, “Idol” execs were considering replacing the singing sensation with veteran judge Jennifer Lopez mid-season in an attempt to boost ratings. But the plan fell apart when Carey’s team threatened to take legal action against the show, “knowledgeable sources” told THR. A rep for Fox denied the report, told FOX 411: "This is just another ridiculous ‘Idol’ judge rumor, likely started by talks of Jennifer performing on the finale." Carey’s rep also contested the report, as did “Idol” producer Nigel Lythgoe. "I have not been...

It's the David and Goliath of television: an obscure religious miniseries has beaten television's former top show in the ratings.The premier of the History Channel's The Bible attracted 13.1 million viewers, topping American Idol's 12.8 million viewers on Wednesday of the same week. The ratings have confounded Hollywood's biggest decision-makers. Overt religious programming can be a notorious tough sell to the public, while American Idol has dominated television for the past eight seasons.Scroll down for video Tastes are changing? History Channel's The Bible beat American Idol in the ratings last week, drawing in 13.1 million viewers The about-turn is evidence...