Idol

VIEWERS ARE THE JUDGE: The season 13 premiere of FOX’s American Idol drew 15 million viewers (-16%) and a 4.6 rating among the crucial 18-49 audience (-23%) from last year; it was beaten in the 18-49 demo by The Voice’s season bow, which got a 4.9 and garnered about the same viewership. The first Idol of 2014—which has won positive press feedback on new judge Harry Connick Jr. and other retooling—won the night and did get a 5% share bump and a 28% spike in 18-49 from last season’s finale, a ratings nadir. It also continues to do well with female viewers. But the show’s fortunes have declined sharply and steadily since its peak in 2007, when it captured a staggering 37.4m viewers. Worse still, Idol lost a key sponsor; AT&T has withdrawn its participation after 12 years—“yet another sign,” Advertising Age observed, “of the dissipating power of Idol.” Tonight brings part two of the show's premiere; it remains to be seen if word of mouth will help or hinder Idol's pursuit of a ratings resurgence. (1/16p)