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    ABC announces revival of “American Idol” next season 

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments3332 Views
    In this Thursday, April 7, 2016, file photo, Katherine McPhee, from left, Casey James, Carly Smithson, Jessica Sanchez, Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard and Amber Holcomb perform at the "American Idol" farewell season finale at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. ABC said Tuesday, May 9, 2017, it will revive "American Idol" after it has spent only one year off the air. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, File)

    By David Bauder, Television Writer

    NEW YORK (AP) --

    ABC announced a deal Tuesday to revive "American Idol," only a year after the powerhouse music competition aired its 15th and last season on Fox.

    The show that dominated television in the 2000s and minted stars like Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson will be back sometime during the next TV season. That season starts in September, but the return of "Idol" will likely come later. Fox generally premiered each new season in January.

    ABC, which agreed with producers FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment on the reboot, released few details, including whether longtime host Ryan Seacrest will return.

    "American Idol" was television's No. 1 series for nine years, peaking with 30 million viewers an episode in 2006. By its last season the average audience had dipped to 11 million and skewed older, and NBC's "The Voice" surpassed it in popularity. Still, in today's television world, an audience of 11 million would rank it among TV's top 20 shows.

    "'American Idol' is a pop-culture staple that left the air too soon," said Channing Dungey, ABC entertainment president. "ABC is the right home to re-ignite the fan base."

    In "Dancing With the Stars," ABC already has a competition show that has remained popular while primarily attracting older viewers.

    Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban were the judges when "American Idol" went off the air. The show's iconic judges were the first: villain Simon Cowell, his sparring partner Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.

    ABC recently hired Seacrest to be co-host with Kelly Ripa on the daytime talk show "Live," so he's already in the corporate family – although "Live" is shot in New York and "Idol" is California-based. Seacrest, on the talk show Monday, said he had only learned of the revival last week when he read a news story about it and made a call.

    "I said at the end of the series, 'goodbye for now,' hoping that somewhere it would come back," Seacrest said.

    He played coy when Ripa encourage him to return as host.

    "Whatever you want," he joked. "You're my work wife. I say 'yes' and bow to you."

    Tags:ABCAmerican Idol



    DirecTV calls off acquisition of rival Dish, possibly ending a yearslong pursuit

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

    DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.

    The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.

    The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.

    DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.

    "While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.

    The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.

    The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.

    DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More

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