Idol ratings drop -- Did they shoot themselves in the foot in shooting down Haley?

[Miguel]

I believe he is wrong about American Idol's days being numbered.

I also thought that

What I would suggest to improve the show is for the TPTB to fork out more cash to expand the music catalog.

Definitely. The show is probably a victim of its own success here. The royalty fees are probably astronomical because of the show's vast reach.

Get rid of Randy Jackson as he has way over stayed his welcome and is actually a drag on the show and the ratings today.

He's become a bit of a joke. I don't know if he hurts Idol's ratings but he definitely hurts the show's credibility. I don't know that Dioguardi would come back though because according to Steven's book she sought him out to replace her.

The judges need to stop criticizing the contestant’s song choices and judge them strictly only on performances because it influences the audiences.

I'm surprised to the extent this happens. Haley's detractors point to her "inconsistent performances" when she was criticized for her inconsistent song choices. Perhaps because of the manner in which the criticism is delivered, "I'm sorry baby..."

Also, the judges must make a much more concerted effort to be less biased, more objective, and more constructive.

I agree. One of the reasons people watch the show is to see beginners flourish. That's one reason Haley's "journey" was so compelling.

At the same time they don't need to destroy the contestants' self-esteem like Randy tried to do with respect to Haley last season...

People can accept constructive criticism from people they professionally respect if it's given in a nurturing way. Conflicts arise when the mentor is not respected and their advice is held in low regard. This may have been the problem with Randy and Haley.