AI in the Media

[Ohwell]

His mom was also a former beauty queen (Miss Mississippi, I think) so she might have passed a sense of entitlement on to her son. 

[ari333]

Wow, I got a creepy vibe from her early on, but those posts were so very, off-the-charts cray I guess I assumed someone was effing with her. That is .... wow.... Poor Qaasim. That really is some smothering of an adult..... Jesus. He needs to shut that shit down. Step off MOM before you destroy his life.

[Ohwell]

Plus, how does she know that he's a virgin?  He might have lied to her just to get her off his back.  Ugh.  I agree, he does need to shut that shit down. 

[Rick Kitchen]

Remember when the AI tour used to sell out big venues?  Let's take a look at where this "top 5" will be performing:

 

Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Florida - 2180 seats

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota, Florida - 1,736 seats

King Center for the Performing Arts, Melbourne, Florida - 2016 seats

Hard Rock Love, Orlando, Florida - can't find the seating

Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Ft. Myers, Florida - can't find the seating.  It's a college arena.

Parker Playhouse, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida - 1191 seats.

 

Nothing in Boston.  Nothing in Washington, DC. Nothing in Atlanta. Nothing in Philadelphia. Nothing in New Orleans. Nothing in Minnesota.

The Beacon Theatre in New York, holding 2894 seats.

Nothing in Las Vegas.

[drafan]

Remember when the AI tour used to sell out big venues?  Let's take a look at where this "top 5" will be performing:

 

Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Florida - 2180 seats

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota, Florida - 1,736 seats

King Center for the Performing Arts, Melbourne, Florida - 2016 seats

Hard Rock Love, Orlando, Florida - can't find the seating

Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Ft. Myers, Florida - can't find the seating.  It's a college arena.

Parker Playhouse, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida - 1191 seats.

 

Nothing in Boston.  Nothing in Washington, DC. Nothing in Atlanta. Nothing in Philadelphia. Nothing in New Orleans. Nothing in Minnesota.

The Beacon Theatre in New York, holding 2894 seats.

Nothing in Las Vegas.

This is the whole list????? Looks like an AARP tour.

Edited April 27, 2015 by drafan

[Rick Kitchen]

No, not the whole list.  The whole list is at http://www.americanidol.com/tour

[BogoGog24]

At least they're playing with a live band this year and not singing to karaoke tracks like last year's tour.

[realdancemom]

This is the whole list????? Looks like an AARP tour.

I started tihnking the same thing.

[rereader2]

People weren't buying tickets last year or the year before, and the tour was playing to largely empty arenas (so the news reports said). They aren't going to pay for venues that they can't fill--they venues get paid whether tickets are bought or not.

[Ohwell]

Remember when the AI tour used to sell out big venues?  Let's take a look at where this "top 5" will be performing:

 

Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Florida - 2180 seats

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota, Florida - 1,736 seats

King Center for the Performing Arts, Melbourne, Florida - 2016 seats

Hard Rock Love, Orlando, Florida - can't find the seating

Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Ft. Myers, Florida - can't find the seating.  It's a college arena.

Parker Playhouse, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida - 1191 seats.

Nothing in Boston.  Nothing in Washington, DC. Nothing in Atlanta. Nothing in Philadelphia. Nothing in New Orleans. Nothing in Minnesota.

The Beacon Theatre in New York, holding 2894 seats.

Nothing in Las Vegas.

I clicked the link to see the whole list, and it's pretty long.  Plus, while there's no tour in Washington, there is one in Baltimore; none in Boston but there is one in Worchester (don't know how far that is from Boston); none in Philly but there are a couple in NJ, including Atlantic City; none in Las Vegas but there's one in Reno.  So, all in all, I think the hamsters have a pretty long list of places to go and the smaller venues won't make them feel so bad.  It's better than performing in front of 1,500 people in a 10,000 seat venue.

[MrsMoltisanti]

Wow, nothing in Canada even!  I remember going to see David Cook and the gang at the Air Canada Center in Toronto, and it sold out like a Bruce Springsteen concert!  Thousands and thousands of people!  I don't even know now if I would stop and watch Jax busking on the street corner now.

Edited to add:

Well maybe if they were giving away free lattes!  : P

Edited April 30, 2015 by MrsMoltisanti

[proserpina65]

No, not the whole list.  The whole list is at http://www.americanidol.com/tour

I've been to the Meyerhoff in Baltimore.  It's a wonderful venue, acoustically much better than some huge arena.  But still, not like the blockbuster tours of yore.

[Qoass]

Worcester, MA is about an hour from Boston.  I remember that one of the previous tours went to a venue south of Boston that seats 19,900 but I don't think it sold out.  The Worcester venue is considerably smaller.

[BogoGog24]

Really interesting interview with Tyanna:

A couple interesting notes:

- She says the song choices for American Classics was pretty bad

- The average number of songs they are given on a list ranges from 30-35

- For Arena Anthems week they were told the theme was Stadium Artists, which is why almost none of them chose anthems

[yourpointis]

Lyndsey Parker: Idol Final Three

[Sparkling Beth]

Not terribly surprising, but The Hollywood Reporter is saying that next season is expected to be the last one for Idol.

 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tv-upfronts-2015-whos-up-794634

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Not terribly surprising, but The Hollywood Reporter is saying that next season is expected to be the last one for Idol.

 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tv-upfronts-2015-whos-up-794634

 

IT'S OFFICIAL!  FOX said the show is over, no more American Idol!  It was reported in our entertainment news here this morning in Canada!

[MarkHB]

Here's the official Fox schedule release, pointing out that we are to expect "a season-long celebration".

[Ms Blue Jay]

 I never seem to watch past the top 8 or whatever, but I am still 50% sad and shocked about this.  I do enjoy those early episodes and Hollywood Week.

[JMarie99]

I'm 50% shocked and 100% sad.  Call me crazy but I'm addicted to this show.  Good or bad, I planned to see it through to the bitter end.  Just didn't think it would be this soon.  And I can't stand that "other" singing show that apparently is so crazy popular.  Guess I'll be going through major withdrawal after next season!

[27bored]

Seems like a bad call. AI is still one of the biggest shows on TV and with the exception of Empire the biggest show on FOX. It's not as good as it used to be but I think that's due to the producers more than there being a lack of talent.

[rereader2]

The "other" show may be popular, but it's just as irrelevant. Today's music scene is far more fragmented than it used to be, and there are very, VERY few stars in the old sense of the word. Success is now mostly by genre, and these shows aren't good at picking out genre stars, since they go for mass voting.

[Ohwell]

I'll look forward to next year's final season, but I do think it's time for it to end.  I have enjoyed this show for the most part, the worst time being Mariah/Nicki Minaj fiasco. 

 

As for "that other show," I think it's awful, much worse than Idol ever was. 

[tobysmom]

Seems like a bad call. AI is still one of the biggest shows on TV and with the exception of Empire the biggest show on FOX. It's not as good as it used to be but I think that's due to the producers more than there being a lack of talent.

it still has good ratings; but not the demographics that usual advertisers want - males 18-45.

 

Last year they cancels some of the shows of the tour; this year that dropped it down to 5 finalist and smaller venues.

 

So it's not making the money it once was

Edited May 11, 2015 by tobysmom

[jjjmoss]

Seems like a bad call. AI is still one of the biggest shows on TV and with the exception of Empire the biggest show on FOX. It's not as good as it used to be but I think that's due to the producers more than there being a lack of talent.

No, it's at least behind Gotham too. Possibly for the season behind Simpsons/Family Guy as well.

 

And with it getting another 20something% drop this season, it's not like things are ever gonna get better. Plus the show's legacy continues to be tarnished with all the headlines about Idol's low ratings whenever it's mentioned in the media.

Edited May 11, 2015 by jjjmoss

[Rick Kitchen]

The "other" show may be popular, but it's just as irrelevant. Today's music scene is far more fragmented than it used to be, and there are very, VERY few stars in the old sense of the word. Success is now mostly by genre, and these shows aren't good at picking out genre stars, since they go for mass voting.

 

It seems like most of the new stars are coming out of YouTube.

[dusang]

This is going to sound crazy but I'm actually shocked that they're only on season 15.  I mean, Survivor started not too long before AI and they're in season 77 or something.

[MarkHB]

That's because Idol only does 1 series / year.  Survivor, TAR, The Voice, etc. each do two series/year and call each one of them a "season".

[BogoGog24]

I'm in the camp that can't stand The Voice. I've tried a few times to get into it and can just never stay with it a full season. The talent might technically be better than Idol but I find them all boring, format stinks, too much Adam and Blake bromance, and the show moves so quickly we don't get much of a chance to get to know these people. Idol has always felt much more authentic to me. But ratings keep dropping for TV too so they'll probably be cancelled not too long from Idol. Maybe they'll stop at season 10.

[TVFan17]

I posted some thoughts on Facebook, under the L.A. Times' update about Idol ending after next season, but I wanted to post additional thoughts here.

 

Let me preface this by saying that I think it is time for American Idol to end.  I think it has run its course.  I am not rallying against its departure in any way... but it will be bittersweet.  For me, it is always a bit sad when a series that I have followed from the very beginning -- especially a long-running series -- takes its final bow.  It sounds so superficial and inane, but these shows do become a part of our lives in some weird way, either because we love them or love to hate them.  They become a part of our routines. Every January I have been able to rely on Idol premiering on Fox, no matter what else was going on, even though my excitement waned over time.  But, as of January 2017, that predictable occurrence will not happen. 

 

American Idol is a series that is only as good as its singers and judges, and if the singing and judging are weak in a particular season, then the show is weak.  We have seen the talent soar and we have seen it crash over the years.  Some seasons were just snooze fests all the way around, but I always knew that the next season, or the season after that, it would be better.

 

This series became a big part of television history. It is iconic. It introduced us all to Simon Cowell, and it made us realize how wacky Paula Abdul really is. It brought fame, fortune and plenty of opportunities to Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Adam Lambert, Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Pickler, Chris Daughtry, Constantine Maroulis, Diana DeGarmo, Katharine McPhee, Jordin Sparks, Phillip Phillips, David Cook, Bo Bice, etc., etc. 

 

And even though he was already working in radio before this, Idol really put Ryan Seacrest on the map and made him a household name (tragic though that may be).  His ridiculous "Seacrest out!" closing line was a running joke across the nation for a couple of years.  Likewise, Randy Jackson's "dawg" became part of pop culture lingo.

 

There are a lot of people (winners and non-winners) who now have entire careers because of American Idol, whereas I can't remember the full names of any of the winners who have come from The Voice, let alone the non-winners.  I used to watch The Voice.  For its first several seasons I liked it.  It was fresh and interesting.  However, NBC ran it into the ground by airing two seasons of it every year, and switching back and forth between judges repeatedly within one year.  There should have only been one season each year.  Plus, the novelty behind The Voice was that the talent was being chosen based on singing talent only because the judges couldn't see the singers.  However, the blind audition portion of the show only lasts for so long, and then visuals immediately come into play.  The novelty is gone for the rest of the season. 

 

If I were to compare these talent shows to relationships, American Idol would be the long-term relationship and The Voice was the brief fling on the side that made me appreciate Idol even more.

 

Ideally, I might have liked to see American Idol take "a break" for a while -- not a clear cut cancellation, forever and ever.  Just a rest... a vacation for a couple of years, to refresh, reconfigure and regroup.  In reality, though, I know it would never work.  And, really, I always liked the simple format of the show -- auditions in a quiet room without an audience, then move on the Hollywood week, then onto the live shows.  I didn't even want the format to change, and yet something would need to change.

 

I guess I do kind of look at American Idol like I would look at a long-term relation with a man -- one that I know has to come to an end.  I look back fondly on the "good years," and I try to forget the bad years.  I liked the reliability and familiarity of having the show there for me every year.  I liked the drama and the fun.  Sometimes the show made me mad and bored me silly, but I stuck it out.  And yet, sadly, it will soon be time to part ways, move on and ride off into the sunset.

Edited May 12, 2015 by Sherry67

[MsTree]

RE: the cancellation...it's about freakin' time!!

[rereader2]

It seems like most of the new stars are coming out of YouTube.

YouTube, yes, but not YouTube alone--the new stars (and making-a-living-doing-what-they-love level successful singers) also do a ton of self-promotion via social media and Noise Trade. It's not enough any more to be a great singer or performer, now they need to be great direct marketers as well.

It does mean there's more room today for those in less mainstream genres of music, but the streaming services--with their terrifyingly low payments to artists--are unsustainable. Unless they raise their payments--which means raising their fees--they're going to force an awful lot of singers out of the field.

[Ohwell]

My wish for the final season is to get rid of the three current judges (buy 'em out of their final year, if necessary), and bring back the original three of Simon, Paula, and, yes, Randy. 

 

I think the final season could be a lot of fun if the producers also brought back previous winners, runners up (I want Justin to come back!), memorable contestants (like Sanjaya, William Hung, Sundance Head--I'll never understand how he flamed out), and just go out with a blast. 

[viajero]

The "other" show may be popular, but it's just as irrelevant. Today's music scene is far more fragmented than it used to be, and there are very, VERY few stars in the old sense of the word. Success is now mostly by genre, and these shows aren't good at picking out genre stars, since they go for mass voting.

 

 

YouTube, yes, but not YouTube alone--the new stars (and making-a-living-doing-what-they-love level successful singers) also do a ton of self-promotion via social media and Noise Trade. It's not enough any more to be a great singer or performer, now they need to be great direct marketers as well.

It does mean there's more room today for those in less mainstream genres of music, but the streaming services--with their terrifyingly low payments to artists--are unsustainable. Unless they raise their payments--which means raising their fees--they're going to force an awful lot of singers out of the field.

 

I do agree that these shows are very unlikely to produce big stars for the very reasons you mention.  Given the way the voting works and the demographics of the TV audience, they inevitably reward the most sympathetic least controversial contestants who prove to be good at covering classic songs from the 60's through 80`s.  This is not a recipe for commercial success and it should be no surprise that the most recent winners like Caleb or Craig Wayne Boyd have already been dropped by their labels.

 

At the same time, I'm not sure I would call these shows complete irrelevant because they also continue to give valuable experience and exposure to more genre oriented artists, who then have a platform on which to try to build a career.  A classic example of this is The Voice's Melanie Martinez.  She was never going to have the kind of mass appeal to finish higher than where she ended up in 6th place.  But she did use that experience to launch a so far successful career within her chosen genre of Alt Pop.  Of course it also took a lot of very successful post show self-promotion, plus the fact that she's a song-writer and was able to come up with a very identifiable somewhat unique style and sound.  This is what eventually got her signed by a major label.  She's never going to be a massive pop star like Katy Perry, but as long as she keeps producing singles and music videos that rack up the views on You Tube (>25 million and counting), which then help sell tickets to fill up the small to medium sized venues she books on her national tours, you´d have to count her as a success.  In fact, this is exactly the kind of success that the likes of Joey Cook might aspire to.

[Rick Kitchen]

There's no way Simon would go back to AI and no way AI would take him back.

[rereader2]

At the same time, I'm not sure I would call these shows complete irrelevant because they also continue to give valuable experience and exposure to more genre oriented artists, who then have a platform on which to try to build a career.  

 

This is completely, absolutely true. I know that AI, certainly, has started (or boosted) a substantial number of genre artists by the exposure they got on the show, and I would assume the "other show" has done the same. The key for these artists is that they have a good sense of themselves as artists going in, so they can build a base with their target audience.

[Ohwell]

There's no way Simon would go back to AI and no way AI would take him back.

Strange things happen when enough money is involved.  I could see him coming back for the final season.  I doubt it'll happen though, only because they probably can't get rid of the current judges.  I just hate the thought of AI going out with J-Lo and Harry as judges.  Keith is ok, but I could do without him, too. 

[MarkHB]

They have already announced that Ryan and the current judges will be back for S15.  Personally, I couldn't see Simon ever coming back, either, and I think Paula is booked for SYTYCD this summer.

[designing1]

I wouldn't be surprised to see the original judges do a guest appearance (as in: show up and say a couple of words) on the final show, but that's about it.

[TVFan17]

I can't even quite get a handle on what, exactly, the final season is supposed to be.  The more I read about it in various articles across cyberspace, the more it sounds like there may not even be an actual 'competition' to speak of in 2016.   Is no one going to be singing?  No "You're going to Hollywood"?  No voting?

 

One article that I read -- and forgive me but I can't recall which one, as there have been so many in the last 24 hours -- implied that final winner of the entire series will be the one crowned tomorrow night.  That's not a verbatim quote, but that was the implication.  It made it sound as if there is not going to be a winner of any kind next year, and that the season starting in January 2016 is just going to be one long stroll down memory lane.

 

... In which case, would they even really need any specific judges on the panel?

 

I did also read somewhere that the 2016 season will be significantly shorter than all of the previous ones, and I guess it would have to be if there is no competitive aspect to it.  I mean, two or three episodes of strolling down memory lane is fine but more than that would be overkill.

 

In any case, assuming that I misinterpreted the article(s) and that there will actually be some kind of singing competition to end the series in 2016, I really don't mind the current judges being there for the final curtain call. 

 

However, that said, much like what happened on The View last year, when Barbara Walters did her final show, I would like to see all of the former judges appear together onstage, or in a big group interview, or something.  I would like to see Brian Dunkleman return next to Seacrest's side, just for kicks.  I would like to see all of the previous seasons' winners (including the one who wins tomorrow night) appear together onstage, and then all of the famous non-winners or memorable former contestants (Clay, Jennifer, Adam, Katharine, Constantine, Justin, etc.) would come out as well.  I would like to see William Hung, Sanjaya and "pants on the ground guy" one last time.

 

They've got at least 8 months to prepare for this, so hopefully some big things are in the works for the final season, whatever kind of season it is.

 

I only wish that April Fools Day were not on a Friday in 2016.  I think it would be hilarious if 4/1/16 fell on a night when The Voice usually airs.  The Voice could open with a shot of the backs of the 4 judges' chairs, only to pan around to the front side -- where we would see 4 of the American Idol judges (or maybe 3 judges and Ryan Seacrest) sitting comfortably.   It would be a great April Fools Day joke.

[BogoGog24]

They have already posted audition dates for next season, so presumably there will actually be people singing, just like the other 14 seasons. Also, why would they bring the same judges back if no one was going to be singing? Out of the articles I read, I saw nothing that implied next season would be strictly a "stroll down memory lane." They all said they definitely want to make it special and go out with a bang, probably invite back the former judges, alumni, etc. But the show would still be the same as it always was, just with a heavy focus on honoring the series and making it super special.

[TVFan17]

They have already posted audition dates for next season, so presumably there will actually be people singing, just like the other 14 seasons. Also, why would they bring the same judges back if no one was going to be singing? Out of the articles I read, I saw nothing that implied next season would be strictly a "stroll down memory lane." They all said they definitely want to make it special and go out with a bang, probably invite back the former judges, alumni, etc. But the show would still be the same as it always was, just with a heavy focus on honoring the series and making it super special.

 

I did say in my above post "... In which case, would they even really need any specific judges on the panel?"  I was essentially asking the same thing you're asking me, but in a different way -- why would they bring the same judges (or any judges) back if no one was going to be singing?

 

Just for the record, I didn't come here and say, "This is a fact!"   I used the words "assuming that I misinterpreted the article(s)..." because I was assuming there would end up being a singing competition.   I also said that I read a bunch of articles in a 24-hour period of time -- by the way, none of which said anything about probably inviting back the former judges, even though I assumed that would ultimately be the case -- and that one of them seemed to imply (or used wording that I read and re-read as implying) that tonight's winner would be the final winner of the series.  I did say that it was not a verbatim quote.

 

I don't expect that all of us read all of the same articles. :-)  When I say that I can't recall which article it was that gave me a particular impression (if I remembered it, I would happily post the link here), it is because I was literally just clicking on random American Idol article links while on Facebook, while in my email, while on the Yahoo home page, etc.  I follow countless news and entertainment-related pages on Facebook, both local and national, and it seemed that they all did pieces about the departure of the show within a day or two, because it's big news.  So I honestly can't remember which specific thing I read on which specific site.

 

In any case, I expected that there would be some sort of competition in the final season -- but supposedly it will be a shorter season, or it will have a reduced schedule in some way.  So I'm not sure what will be cut out.  They're still planning on beginning the season in January, as usual, and I would have to imagine that the series finale will take place during May sweeps, as always.  So that means some of the usual 'in between' stuff would have to be trimmed.  They already trimmed down the number of broadcast hours for the current season, though a lot of viewers may not realize it.  So there would have to be even more trimmed down in 2016.  It will be interesting to see how they work it!

[jjjmoss]

Lol last night (in prelim #s) it was tied for last place show among the 4 major networks (and also lost to CW's Flash).

America is ready for this to go.

[Wings]

If it is true that next season will be shorter I bet they eliminate the audition rounds.  I would not be surprised to hear they chose the singers from youtube to spark a new show idea that may be in the making.   I did not read this anywhere.  Just guessing what a shorter season would look like if any competition is involved. They are probably still in the planning stages and have made no firm decisions.  

[Foghorn Leghorn]

They ran auditions for next season at 9am this morning outside the studio!  Ryan announced it was a first crack at it and then announced the cities where they would be held and approx when.  You can also submit online a 15 second video.  Not sure where all this guessing I am reading is coming from.  They were pretty clear on the show last night.

[TVFan17]

They ran auditions for next season at 9am this morning outside the studio!  Ryan announced it was a first crack at it and then announced the cities where they would be held and approx when.  You can also submit online a 15 second video.  Not sure where all this guessing I am reading is coming from.  They were pretty clear on the show last night.

 

There isn't "all this guessing."

 

I posted something yesterday -- well before last night's show aired.  I was very clear in saying I read one specific article that implied a certain thing, and I later said that I could have misinterpreted it.  And then I had to go back and again clear up what I said this morning.

 

Now we are just wondering what is going to be cut out of the final season, as it is supposedly going to be reduced in the number of hours it airs on Fox.

Edited May 13, 2015 by Sherry67

[Wings]

They ran auditions for next season at 9am this morning outside the studio!  Ryan announced it was a first crack at it and then announced the cities where they would be held and approx when.  You can also submit online a 15 second video.  Not sure where all this guessing I am reading is coming from.  They were pretty clear on the show last night.

 

 

I haven't watched this season.  Thanks. 

[proserpina65]

Now we are just wondering what is going to be cut out of the final season, as it is supposedly going to be reduced in the number of hours it airs on Fox.

 

The articles I've read don't mention anything about cutting the number of hours - not anymore than what it was reduced to this season anyway.

[TVFan17]

I don't expect that all of us read all of the same articles.  Some of the same ones, yes -- but not all of the same ones.

 

Perhaps there will be just a slight reduction of hours -- an hour here; an hour there; the season ending earlier than usual, etc.   Who knows?  Season 15 hasn't started yet.  A lot of people didn't even really realize or notice that this season's hours were cut back -- to them it seemed like the same pace and same number of episodes.

 

Next time I will be sure to bookmark every article I read on the cancellation of a massive show before commenting on it, so I can provide links for everyone -- even when there are dozens and dozens of them from small and large sites, popping up all over cyberspace.

 

By the way -- sometimes there is info posted in articles or blogs that is just flat out incorrect.  If that happens, blame the writer and not the reader.  I moderate a forum on another website (not about TV), and I often share links to relevant, newsworthy articles about the subjects we discuss.  Just recently I posted the link to an article or blog on a subject, and it had a very clear, straightforward sentence in it about how a particular event was not going to be happening.  And then I posted a link to a totally separate article/blog from a different source, and that writer stated that the particular event was going to be happening!  Two totally conflicting bits of information about the same subject, from two different writers/websites.  Lol.  None of us knew what to believe, but in the end it didn't matter because we will all eventually find out what's really happening anyway.

 

The problem is, there is so much "media" out there today -- it's not like it was in the "olden days."  Lol.  When you're just randomly clicking links to read multiple articles on a subject and not paying specific attention to who is reporting what (which is what I did with the flood of American Idol content coming at me), it can be hard to differentiate the credible/reliable news from the unreliable news.  Way back when, we just had TV news (local and national), newspapers and magazines and that was it.  Then, when everyone got online, a lot of the credible magazines, TV news outlets and newspapers followed suit, which was fine.  But then everyone on the planet started blogging, reviewing, critiquing or simply starting their own websites -- and suddenly many of those sites became part of "the media" too,  with the bloggers reporting on things they supposedly read on other websites, but not reporting on info they actually uncovered themselves.

Edited May 13, 2015 by Sherry67

[MarkHB]

Here is the official word, directly from Fox:

 

AMERICAN IDOL will begin its 15th – and final – season this January on FOX. A season-long celebratory event, AMERICAN IDOL XV will feature host Ryan Seacrest and judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick, Jr., as they search for the final IDOL superstar and pay tribute to the past 14 seasons of amazingly talented contestants and the millions of fans who tweeted, texted and championed their IDOLs.

 

Conversely, the most-confusing info I have seen comes from this interview with Scott Borchetta:

 

When the press release announcing the end of American Idol was sent on Monday, Scott Borchetta‘s name was missing. The Season 14 mentor says he could come back, but it depends on how serious the show’s producers are about searching for talent.

 

“I want to make sure the show is still going to be about finding great talent. And if it is, then there’s a very serious discussion to be had,” Borchetta tells Taste of Country. “If it’s more about nostalgia and bringing Simon (Cowell) back and bringing Paula (Abdul) back — when I sign up that means I’m signing the winner. So if the mission stays specific then there’s a conversation to be had. If it doesn’t, then I’ve got other things I’ve gotta go do.”

Then, when everyone got online, a lot of the credible magazines, TV news outlets and newspapers followed suit, which was fine.  But then everyone on the planet started blogging, reviewing, critiquing or simply starting their own websites -- and suddenly many of those sites became part of "the media" too,  with the bloggers reporting on things they supposedly read on other websites, but not reporting on info they actually uncovered themselves.

 

I see this all the time, sites using each other to "confirm" something that someone made up on a message board.