Idol Rumors

The X Factor added Demi Lovato and Britney Spears as judges this fall, to ratchet up audience enthusiasm and increase ratings. The producers also want their star power to fight NBC's hit show, The Voice. Meanwhile, as of this writing Mariah Carey remains the only judge signed for American Idol in the spring. Rumors are flying that Randy Jackson, the only remaining judge from the original group, will be forced into a mentor role so Idol to sign big name judges to compete in the musical competition show arms race. Why did X Factor sign Britney Spears and Demi Lovato? The answer is not because they wanted pop stars who could truly judge whether or not the acts will become stars. The answer is demographics. If you were a young Britney Spears fan in the late 1990s or early 2000s you are now probably in your mid-twenties, an audience demographic networks crave. Fox is hoping that the kids who loved Britney will watch X factor. If they do, Simon Cowell will reach the 20 million audience goal he set for himself last year. American Idol aims at a slightly older crowd, so they're hoping Mariah Carey's fans in the early 90s will watch her on Fox. There are rumors Idol's producers are negotiating with Enrique Iglesias and a male country star to round out the demographics for the audience. I think it will be a mistake if Idol hires stars without regard for how they will interact with each other, the contestants, and the audience. I hope they're testing the potential judges in front of a camera before signing them. After all, Randy and Simon were unknown to the American audience when Idol started. Paula Abdul was the biggest star, and she hadn't had a hit in years. Let me give Idol creator Simon Fuller, and all of my readers, some advice. Television makes its own stars. I recommend he sign someone like former Idol contestant Adam Lambert (another rumor) who can identify with the contestants. Adam will bring his outrageous personality to judging like he did to his performances. Of course you have to keep Mariah Carey in her $18 million part time job at this point. But let the audience discover that they like the other judges after watching them. That will result in higher ratings. I would keep Randy. We've grown used to him in our living rooms -- there's a comfort factor to television that drives repeat viewing. Two new judges -- whoever they are -- will be enough for us. People love to discover new talent. Remember, television makes its own stars.