Networks are scaredy cats

Not sure how many of you saw the NY Times article this week on American Idol's ratings. If you have a NY Times account, you can read it here.

Turns out this season, Idol is incredibly averaging 33.5 million viewers their first 5 weeks this season compared to 31.7 million last year and 28.3 the season before:

For perspective, at this point “Idol” could lose half its audience and still rank among the top 10 shows on television. And no one dares predict when this phenomenon will fade.

“Idol” is creating ever more powerful shock waves. A growing number of television executives have begun to regard “American Idol” as a programming force unlike any seen before. Jeff Zucker, the new chief executive of NBC Universal, said, “I think ‘Idol’ is the most impactful show in the history of television.”

And all the other networks have given up competing against the behemoth that is Idol by moving their shows to different time slots:

The most notable recent example of a show’s being rescheduled out of danger was ABC’s decision to protect its own reality series “Dancing With the Stars” from having to compete directly with “Idol.”

“Dancing” was a runaway hit last fall, when it played for 90 minutes on Tuesdays and an hour on Wednesdays. When it returns next month, it will be seen at 8 on Mondays, a night with no episodes of “Idol,” and at 9 on Tuesdays — just as “Idol” goes off the air.

It's an interesting read. If you have the NY Times account, check it out.

J. Lo to Appear on Idol this Season

Access Hollywood has exciting news!

Access Hollywood has learned from reliable sources that Jennifer Lopez is scheduled to perform on “American Idol” on April 11.

J. Lo joins a long line of big-time acts to take the “Idol” stage over the years, including Prince, Mary J. Blige, Rascal Flatts, Shakira and more.

Also, the article says there are strong rumors that Gwen Stefani will be performing March 28.

Wow. Just wow.

2007 American Idol Pool Payment and Payout Information

Dear Idol contestants,

As the chair of the American Idol Pool Financial Resources Committee, I'd like to announce the payment method and process for this year's tournament, along with the pay-out scale for the winners. After much conversation, it has been decided that the fee for entering the tournament will be $10.00.

As of now, there are 51 people in the pool. The top five winners will make a profit with their winnings -- the remainder of the money will be split among those who have correctly identified this year's American Idol. If you are the only person to correctly identify this year's American Idol, you get the whole side pot. It happened last year!

The pay-out scale is as follows:

1st Place : $200
2nd Place: $100
3rd Place: $50
4th Place: $30
5th Place: $20
Winners Pool: $100

Please note that if more than 10 people select the same contestant as their American Idol, and that finalist actually becomes this season's American Idol, then rather than splitting the pot up in miniscule amounts, we will donate the $100 to charity. The charity will be selected by the person with the highest score who has named the American Idol correctly.


I would also like to thank the Idol Pool Governing Board for allowing me to continue to serve as the AIPFRC chair. I know that many of you were concerned after the recent press release that questioned my ability to manage money ethically and with social responsibility. It has been a difficult couple of months for me and my family and I appreciate the Governing Board's continued support. Needless to say, it would be in everybody's best interest to route their American Idol dues through a different member of our organization. Please make checks payable to Mr. Matt Lane at the following address:

Matt Lane
1407 W. Summerdale Ave, 3rd floor
Chicago, IL 60640

Payment is due by March 1st!!!!!!

Unfortunately, with words like "embezzlement" being bandied about, it makes sense to remove myself from the competition. Even though I cannot participate in the tournament, I will be keeping a close eye on all that happens at Idol Pool Headquarters. If you have any questions about the financial component of the tournament, please email our intern, Debbie, at idolpool@gmail.com. Debbie will relay the message to me, JoJo Conroy.

Rules for the 2007 American Idol Pool

This is how the American Idol Pool works:

We now have the top 24 contestants! One of these people is your next American Idol!

On Tuesday and Wednesday (Feb 20 & 21), the 12 guys and 12 girls sing - each show is 2 hours. On Thursday, 2 guys and 2 girls are elminated. We're down to 20 contestants.

The week after that (2/27, 2/28, and 3/1), the remaining 10 guys and 10 girls sing (each show is 90 minutes), and 2 more guys and girls are eliminated. Then we'll be down to 16 contestants.

The week after that is a big week for you. That Tuesday and Wednesday, March 6 & 7, the remaining 8 guys and 8 girls will sing (each show is an hour). That Thursday night, March 8, 2 guys and 2 girls will be eliminated, and we'll be down to the 12 finalists. After American Idol gets to 12 participants, they only eliminate one person per week going forward.

Now, before that Thursday night 3/8 show (where the field of 16 becomes 12), you MUST email your top 12 picks to Debbie, the American Idol Intern at idolpool@gmail.com.....you MUST email those picks by 3 PM EST.

Your top 12 picks must be ordered from #1 to #12. #1 is your American Idol. #2 is your runner-up. #12 is the person who you think is going out first (after the field of 12 is announced). That's all you need to do.....simply email Debbie your top 12 out of the field of 16 by 3PM EST on Thursday, 3/8.

For every person in your top 12 that you have right when the top 12 are announced, you get one point (meaning that the most points you can get for the week is 12).

The next week, one person from the top 12 will be eliminated. Your personal sheet says that you believe person #12 will be eliminated first. Therefore, after America votes someone off, you will get 2 points for every person in your top 11 that is still in the show (meaning the most points you can get for the week is 22).

And we just keep on repeating.
In Week 3, every person that's still alive that you have in your top 10 will get you 3 points.
In Week 4, every person in your top 9 will get you 4 points.
Etc., etc., etc. until we get to the point that having the American Idol correct will get you 12 points.

The person with the most points at the end of American Idol wins the pool!!!!


Tiebreakers:
If there is a tie in the final standings, the tiebreaker is the same as last year - when looking at a score sheet, the person who had called the most recent elimination correctly will win the tiebreaker.

So, if two people are tied at the end of the season, and person #1 correctly guessed the contestant who went out in Week 6, and person #2 correctly named the contestant who went out in Week 3, then person #1 hold the tiebreaker. Make sense? That person correctly guessed the more recent elimination.


That's it.

For information about payouts and who to pay, please read JoJo Conroy's post. You can find it here.

For an example of what an average scoresheet looks like, please visit the Legend post here.

Any questions? Post them here or right Debbie at idolpool@gmail.com.