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

[fover]

Portland auditions:

Preliminary ratings give American Idol a 5.9 among adults 18-49 on Wednesday night. Though the broadcast managed to grow more than a full point in the second half of the hour-long broadcast, it still marked a 9 percent drop from the previous week's 6.5. The same week last year, Idol drew a 9.0 among adults 18-49. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV shows live by the numbers and die by the numbers.

At the moment, American Idol is being gashed with the Nielsen saber.

Viewership for the Fox singing contest is down just more than 20 percent from last year at this time, and ratings in the adult demographic (18 to 49 years old) have dropped an alarming 33 percent.

...American Idol's audience peaked in 2006, averaging 30.3 million viewers per episode for Season Five. The fan base has shrunk every year since then (with the exception of last season). Thus far in Season 11, Idol is averaging just under 20 million viewers.

..."Every year, the median age [of the audience] gets older and older," says Brad Adgate, senior vice president of research for Horizon Media in New York. "It started out in the low 30s and now it's creeping close to 50."

That trend, a liability for advertisers, has accelerated this season. "Idol is not only losing viewers," says Adgate, "the median age is almost three years older than it was a year ago."

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainme...z1lFdLH0Oz

I'll bet they're wishing they had Haley back this season, or hoping to find another like her.