http://www.buddytv.com/articles/american-idol/american-idol-producers-in-den-5542.aspx

American Idol to Pre-empt Dancing with the Stars

Chris Sligh's Controversial Shout out

Sheryl Crow Doesn 't get American Idol

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http://www.buddytv.com/articles/american-idol/betting-on-american-idol-safe-4759.aspx

http://www.buddytv.com/articles/american-idol/first-american-idol-hopeful-cu-3731.aspx

To see what he has to say, read the interview here.

Has Hicks been “Aiken-ed?” While many still tend to believe Daughtry is the bigger star, his album was released in the midst of the frenzied, “Black Friday,” post-Thanksgiving sales week. Hicks’s debut, however, was released just last Tuesday Dec. 12th, after many had already finished Christmas shopping and sales had began to ebb. The numbers weren’t a dramatic contrast and could have easily been different had the release dates been switched. Nevertheless, it doesn’t look quite right when the third runner-up sells more than or even close to the actual winner.

Daughtry currently maintains a position at number five on the iTunes sales charts. Hicks has dropped to fifteen.

Again, although traceable to numerous factors, this evidences a potential theory. Although Hicks may do phenomenally well in first week sales, only true artists that can fit into today’s milieu, such as Daughtry, have lasting currency.

While the first week sales numbers may prove neglible when it comes to the true, long-lived power of Hicks and Daughtry, a quick glance at the iTunes music store right now might be a better indicator.

Bennett, niece of inspirational singer Anne Nesby originally from the Sounds of Blackness, signed with 306 Entertainment for her debut set. "Dreamin'," the autobiographical first single, is slated to impact iTunes and radio in January of 2007. The 18-year-old co-wrote the majority of the songs on the album which also boasts production from Jon Jon TraXX, Darren Lightey and Rodney Jerkins.

Since appearing on "Idol," Bennett has toured nationally for the show, began developing her Tres P clothing line and performed recently at the annual Walt Disney Christmas Parade singing "Let It Snow" with fellow "Idol" finalists.

Princess P is scheduled to hit shelves in March of 2007, while the sixth season of "American Idol" airs January 16 on FOX.

The event, sponsored by the United Service Organizations (USO), also featured comedians Josh Blue and John Heffron. Both Blue and Heffron earned national attention after winning seasons of the hit NBC series “Last Comic Standing.”

Hicks said he was amazed at the size of the ship and considered it to be an honor to perform for military personnel.

"As a kid I saw the USO Bob Hope stuff and I always had the dream of being an entertainer and having my music get out to the world," said Hicks. "I think this is the beginning of a long tour for me and the USO. I look forward to going overseas and performing. I can start right here on the Ronald Reagan."

"If there's one thing that makes 'American Idol' so big, it's a huge event," she told the Daily News.

"Something we're working on is a big-event show, sometime in the middle of the season, something that will blow America away," she added.

Hard to believe the folks behind "American Idol" can get the show any bigger than it already is. When it's on - and it's only around 19 weeks a year - the show is the biggest thing on the small screen, generating huge Nielsen ratings and daily water-cooler buzz.

Each season the show rolls around, there are gentle warnings that the audience level will drop. And, each year, the show does better.

Last season, the Tuesday edition of "American Idol" was watched by an average of 31.02 million people to rank No. 1 for the season. That's up 3 million from the 27.44 million the season before.

Moreover, the show has launched the careers of music superstars Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and "Dreamgirls" star Jennifer Hudson.

"American Idol" returns with two-hour editions on Jan. 16 and 17 at 8 p.m.

Few shows have had the run "American Idol" has and remained as strong. But Frot-Coutaz said a drop is not out of the realm of possibility.

"Look," she said, "it's always in the back of your mind. The only thing we can do is make the best show we can and find the best talent as possible. The rest, some of it is up to Fox and how they promoted it. The rest is the competitive landscape. If we keep giving [viewers] something entertaining, it will be fine."

Fox's competitors, however, treat the show like it's radioactive. For instance, ABC recently announced it would move "Lost" to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays to get it away from "Idol" at 9 p.m.

While most of the world goes into a slow-down mode this holiday season, the folks at 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia North America, which produce "Idol," are in overdrive preparing the early editions of the show.

"We're in production pretty much year-round," Frot-Coutaz said. "We start our casting in August."

This time of year, she admitted, gets a bit tense.

"It's that time when you get apprehensive about how it's going to launch," she said. "We keep our fingers crossed."

The early episodes are "great" she said, with some of the best audition shows ever. They key, she said, is mixing the good people with the truly bad ones, like, say, William Hung.

"There's some great talent out there," she said. "But there's also some people who are delusional about their talent, too. That's the beauty of an open call - everybody comes. Everybody thinks they've got a great voice."