Having reached 8 seasons and what will be 177 episodes, producers of the hit series (which focuses on the unconventional Dr Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) and his controversial snap judgements on patients) have claimed that the 21 May episode will end the show.

Laurie, who also executive produces alongside David Shore and Katie Jacobs, issued a joint statement with his team yesterday, which read: ”The decision to end the show now, or ever, is a painful one, as it risks putting asunder hundreds of close friendships that have developed over the last eight years – but also because the show itself has been a source of great pride to everyone involved. The producers have always imagined House as an enigmatic creature; he should never be the last one to leave the party. How much better to disappear before the music stops, while there is still some promise and mystique in the air.”

They concluded by stating their belief that despite there not being any new episodes, the series would have a strong legacy, saying: ”The producers can never sufficiently express their gratitude to the hundreds of dedicated artists and technicians who have given so generously of their energy and talent to make House the show it has been – and perhaps will continue to be for some time, on one cable network or another.”

Fox were naturally disappointed at the impending loss of one of their most popular dramas, as the network’s entertainment president Kevin Reilly stated:  “While it’s with much regret, and a lump in our throats, we respect the decision Hugh, David and Katie have made. A true original, on the page and amazingly brought to life by Hugh Laurie, there is only one Dr House. For eight seasons, the entire House team has given us – and fans around the world – some of the most compelling characters and affecting stories ever seen on television. They have been creatively tenacious and collaborative throughout this incredible run, and they are amongst the most superior talents in the business. For all the above, we wholeheartedly thank them, and the fans who have supported the show.”

Despite the announcement and subsequent despair amongst its fans (who have already launched a ‘bring back House‘ campaign on Facebook), they still have 11 more episodes to look forward to each Monday through to May. Will the long-lasting series go out with a bang?

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Following the departures from X Factor USA of presenter Steve Jones, and judges Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul (the latter of which was confirmed on Tuesday), Cowell is on the hunt for a number of replacements on the Fox singing competition, and while many thought that singer Mariah Carey would be his top priority, it is looking likely that former Destiny’s Child member Beyonce will be targeted, with reports claiming that she has been offered a jaw-dropping $100m per series.

A source said of Cowell’s efforts to sign a higher-profile celebrity to the show: “He wants a big name female star on the panel. Mariah is good, but she’s not that hot today. He wants Beyonce because that would immediately give him the bounce needed to beat American Idol.”

The deal being offered is said to be an incredible $500,000,000 5-year contract that would make Beyonce one of the highest-paid personalities in showbusiness. Perhaps Simon Cowell has been spending too much time around the exhaust pipes of Sir Richard Branson’s spacecraft, as it is hard to believe (even with marketing and promotional value) that anyone is really worth that much just to tell some singers if they were any good. Would this be seen as his most baffling piece of spending to-date?

Away from his efforts to attract new ‘employees’, Cowell took a moment to recognise the work of his old ones on X Factor USA, who he claims all left on good terms: “I want to say a massive thank you to Paula, Nicole and Steve for being part of The X Factor last year. We had a lot of fun making the show together and importantly, we found some real talent and stars. You do develop friendships with the people you work with and Paula, in particular, is a very close friend and I expect to be working with her on another project in the near future. I’m sure all three are going to have massive success in what they do next, but now is the time to thank them all for everything they did last year.”

With so much money being thrown at potential replacements, though, might the recently-departed trio’s mood get a little more sour?

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The 34-year-old did not give a reason, but announced the news to his followers on Twitter, writing: ”I wont be hosting next seasons X Factor which is a shame but I cant complain as I’ve had a great time. Good luck to everyone on the show (sic).”

Fox’s entertainment chief Kevin Reilly had previously expressed his desire to make changes in order to improve the show despite being ‘pleased’ by the first series. with Jones seemingly the first to go, as Reilly suggested in an interview last month: “The hosting gig, the only thing I will say, is, as we know, a much harder job than meets the eye. I think everyone has come to realise the value of a Ryan Seacrest [American Idol presenter]. If you dialled the clock back 11 years, I’m not sure everybody in this room would have given him all the credit at that time. Those are very hard jobs to do. So whether Steve’s the guy or not, it comes under the heading of ‘growth’ in general.”

It seems as though he will not be the only member of the X Factor team that will not be coming back later this year, as Fox also confirmed that judge Nicole Scherzinger has parted company with the show after one season. A source for the singer reported to E! Nicole’s personal reasons for leaving as: “She wants to focus on her music career. She’s spoken to Simon [Cowell] and he’s given her his blessing. X Factor took a lot more of her time than she ever expected. She didn’t have any time really to work on her music. She was doing X Factor six days a week.”

To round off the period of uncertainty in the show, Paula Abdul has reportedly not yet been contacted over a contract for the second series, leaving Simon Cowell and LA Reid as the only two confirmed judges for this year’s edition so far, meaning a new search for potential panelists will occur before the singers get their chance to audition.

While the X Factor gets set for another winter and spring period filled with rumours of judging and presenting names, their more stable rival series American Idol are brimming with confidence at the moment, as they today approached US President Barack Obama to sing a guest performance on a future live show alongside Al Green. The plans (however unlikely they are to occur) are based on Obama’s recent break into song during a recent speech, singing a few words of one of Al Green’s songs.

Nigel Lythgoe, a producer on American Idol, wrote a direct tweet to the President, saying: “We loved your vocal performance so much we’d love to invite you on to American Idol this season for a duet with Al Green.”

While most guest appearances on singing reality shows are used to promote a new album or tour, this offer could be an interesting new angle to try and win some votes ahead of the 2012 US Presidential Elections near the end of the year. Would Obama sacrifice some of his political credibility to live out a celebrity-based dream? In the highly likely event that he declines Idol‘s request, fans of the singer Barack Obama will have to be content with this clip:

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The show was centred on the life of the wealthy and pretentious 7-year-old titular character (voiced by executive producer and Superbad star Jonah Hill) Allen Gregory De Longpre, who is sent to public school in a bid by his parents (father Richard and his reluctant ‘life partner’ Jeremy) to save money. Episodes focused on Allen Gregory’s attempts to fit into his unfamiliar surroundings, and being caught out on his big promises and statements. The show has only lasted for 1 season, though, after it was confirmed by a Fox representative that they would not be renewing the series.

Despite a slot inbetween Fox’s two most popular ‘Animation Domination’ shows (The Simpsons and Family Guy) on Sunday night, the new show failed to live up to the standards of its fellow animated sitcoms, and with an average 1.5% rating in its 18-45 target demographic across its 7-episode run, it has been less than successful.

Fox chief of programming Kevin Rielly recently said of the below-par show on the network’s ‘Winter Press Tour’: “We will not be making any more Allen Gregory.”

While other series on Fox are also expected to be in the firing line in the coming months, will any bigger names face the cut, or is it just a creepy kid that will be facing the proverbial axe?

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It is definitely a reality check for Cowell, who brashly predicted earlier in the year that the show would break American Idol‘s regular milestone of 20m. He said of his personal reflection on the show’s progress: “It didn’t get the numbers I predicted. I’m not going to lie and say I’m thrilled. But I’ve also learned a lesson that you can’t be too cocky, and it may take a few years. You’ve got to earn the right to those numbers.”

Cowell added his more positive verdict on production of the series in general, and plans for the future: “I think it’s been really, really, really good. Compared to the first season we made in England, which was horrific… the first American show was a million times better. I can see the second show in my head now, where we need to go with it. We’ve got a few tricks up our sleeves still.”

David Scardino, representative of advertising agency RPA, gave an independent verdict on the show’s success, stating: “Hype and all that aside, I think the show is a major factor in sending Fox into the second half of the season in extremely good shape. Probably a little of the responsibility for setting the bar a bit too high has to go to the network.”

On the show itself, Cowell had given his opinion on Melanie, who beat Josh Krajcik to win the show, saying: “America, thank you for giving this girl an opportunity. She’s going to represent this country. She is a star. I’m very proud and very grateful. And Josh was a great runner-up.”

With season two now being prepared for, will The X Factor soon be ringing the changes to get the higher viewing figures it craves?

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This is what has happened to 22-year-old Phillip Lomax, who was given the boot by ‘Boys’ mentor LA Reid in the first week of live shows (where five acts from the final 17 were cut by their mentors). However, the show’s live online ‘pre-show’ was lacking a co-host following the absence of regular Dan Levy, and it was Lomax who was asked to return to the studio to present for the online-exclusive series.

Lomax said of his unique appointment on the official show website: “It’s going to be a new venture for me but I’m very excited about it. I’m totally excited to see all of my friends. I’ve missed them a lot. It’s a pretty intense change from performing all the time in rehearsals with a lot of attention to not doing that anymore. But getting back and reconnecting with people… it’s going to be fantastic! I bring a lot of energy to every situation and hopefully I’ll be able to give my own take on different questions and get along with whomever I’m interviewing.”

He added his opinion on his experience with the show and his mentor, and was surprisingly content despite the early elimination. He said: “I have to… realise that I’ve accomplished what not many people have. I think LA is an outstanding guy. I wish that he made a different decision, obviously, but he could only take three, and those three guys [other 'Boys' Marcus Canty, Chris Rene, and 'Astro'] are outstanding as well. It’s a shame he didn’t pick me.”

While it may be one of the first times a contestant has been hired back so quickly to a reality show for a different purpose to what they came on for, the American X Factor is not the only version of the franchise to be offering its participants, with the original UK edition dealing with the fallout from the disqualification of controversial contestant Frankie Cocozza.

The solution from the ITV1 show is to allow the public to vote for one of the four acts eliminated by their mentors in the first live shows (Amelia Lily, James Michael, Jonjo Kerr, and 2 Shoes) to be reinstated into the competition this weekend, with the logic of the move claiming to be that none of those contestants got a chance to face a public vote. Will both versions of X Factor benefit from their unique callbacks, or were these moves just last resorts?

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While current cartoon leads in McFarlane’s roster of shows include Peter Griffin (Family Guy), Stan Smith (American Dad!), Cleveland Brown (The Cleveland Show), and a soon-to-be revival of Fred Flintstone (The Flintstones), all of whom seem to fit the character description of ‘fat and (or) stupid dad’, will be joined by a headline character, a move revealed by Alex Bornstein, the voice of Lois Griffin in Family Guy.

She will be working alongside Seth MacFarlane on the project, though the only confirmed detail is the focus on a female lead character, which Bornstein may or may not play.

She said of the developing series: “It’s me and Seth, and another producer named Gary Janetti. We’re kind of raring to go and just waiting to get the green light to start setting up and writing – so it’s very exciting! It has a family and the central character is a female character, which is something different for Fox, and for Seth, and for everyone! I think that the last female-centred animated show that I can remember was Daria [MTV show between 1997-2002].”

Borstein added that while she is expecting flagship series Family Guy (which began in 1999) to continue for around ‘four or five more years’, she believes a movie would be the best way to complete the series when it ends, saying of the prospects, and the future of the controversial show: “I think it would be amazing, I would love it. I would love the opportunity to have a longer time to tell a story. Having an hour-long format, and a longer time to tell a bigger, more intricate story, I think would be a really cool opportunity for Family Guy. But I don’t necessarily think that one should be exclusive of the other. I think we could continue to do the show and do films, and have a blast. As long as it’s still funny and making us laugh, I think that’s how long you keep going.”

While Seth McFarlane is seemingly looking towards newer series, how long will his original cartoon creations remain in production for?

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Show boss and judge Simon Cowell brought his X Factor format to the USA this year after leaving his judging roles on The X Factor in the UK and on fellow Fox singing series American Idol. While the new series has had some difficulties in finding panel members, below expected (but still high) ratings, episodes being delayed due to baseball, and comparisions with the Idol franchise, and it was a fairly likely outcome to see the show renewed for another year.

Cowell said of the renewal news: “I am absolutely thrilled with the news. I have loved making the show and I want to thank Fox, our sponsors and, most importantly, the fans for supporting The X Factor.”

Mike Darnell, Fox’s president of alternative entertainment, added the network’s thoughts on commissioning the second season, stating: “The X Factor is a monumental success. It’s won every night it’s been on the air, the talent is phenomenal, the live shows are spectacular and picking it up is a complete no-brainer. Simon and his team have done an incredible job with the show, and I’m absolutely thrilled to bring back The X Factor for another fantastic season.”

The first season of the reality show is currently in its ‘live show’ stage, where judges Cowell, Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger, and LA Reid mentor their chosen acts throughout the remainder of the competition. 12 hopefuls currently remain, though tonight’s episode will see presenter Steve Jones reveal the 2 acts with the fewest public votes, who will then have a ‘sing-off’ to remain in the contest.

While the show might not be the runaway success that Simon Cowell had hoped it would be (ratings-wise at least), will the programme keep a steady level of popularity going into its second year?

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The 28 October clash, which was the first time that the World Series had gone to a 7th-game decider since the 2002 Angels-Giants series, ended 6-2 to the Cardinals, giving the home team (on a 4-3 record in the 2011 series) their 11th Major League Baseball (MLB) title. On the ratings side, this event brought in a total of 25.4m viewers to the Fox channel in the USA, following statistics published by the Fox Sports division.

This, as expected, made it the highest-rated broadcast in America that night, but the main talking points for these events is usually how they square up to their predecessors. In this case, Game 7 in 2011 saw a baseball TV audience at its highest since the Boston Red Sox played a historic decider in 2004.

On averages, the The 2011 World Series recorded a steady 16.6m over the course of the seven games. This is reported by Fox to be 19% up on the 2010 World Series (Giants-Rangers) average of 14.3m, which across five games recorded the annual event’s second-lowest ratings of all-time. 2011 did not match up to 2009 though, with 3 million under the average produced by the six-game Yankees-Phillies series.

The ratings could be considered as above expectations, as Horizon Media researcher Brad Adgate predicted pre-series that the home TV markets involved (Dallas and especially St Louis) would be likely to produce one of the least-watched World Series of all-time, unless there were a large number of games (6 or 7) amd the games themselves were exciting.

While a wash-out during game 4 of the previous round might not have been the most exciting action for Fox viewers, the rest finals themselves seemed to provide enough action and drama to warrant an acceptable rating. With series such as the X Factor coming closer to conclusion, will the network manage to beat their own high total before the year is out?

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Unlike its UK counterpart, the number of acts is currently at 17 as opposed to 16, following a late decision from Simon Cowell to bring back Melanie Amaro into his ‘Girls’ category. Cowell, who was alone at his judge’s house at an undisclosed location in France after planned partner Mariah Carey could not make it there, decided to add Melanie to his selection of Drew Ryniewicz, Rachel Crow, Simone Battle, and Tiah Tolliver. That total of five is one more than he is supposed to have chosen, but he is the boss of the show…

Mentoring the ‘Boys’ category is LA Reid, and alongside guest judge Rhianna in The Hamptons (USA), he chose ‘Astro’, Chris Rene, Marcus Canty, and Phillip Lomax as his four acts.

Meanwhile in Malibu (USA), Nicole Scherzinger was with Enrique Iglesias mentoring the ‘Over-30′s’, selected Dexter Haygood, Josh Krajcik, Leroy Bell, and Stacy Francis.

Working with Paula Abdul in Santa Barbara (USA) was Pharrell Williams, and together they put through The Brewer Boys, inTENsity, Lakoda Rayne, and The Stereo Hoggz as the ‘Groups’ category.

The live shows will now hand the decision-making over to the public, as they vote out the least popular acts each week, and eventually voting for an overall winner on 22 December, with the champion claiming a prize of a $5m recording contract with Epic Records. The past couple of years in the UK version has seen a first-week ‘twist’ on the live shows, featuring extra acts being either invited back or eliminated. With Simon’s unfair advantage, will there be a surprise involved to level the playing field? Will the show itself recover from its baseball-related scheduling issues?

For a full run-down of the 17 acts involved in the live shows of X Factor USA (and the faces that Fox viewers will not be able to get away from for the next two months), see the video below:

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The confusion has been caused by a two-hour washout during the Texas Rangers @ Detroit Tigers American League championship series (game 4). The Rangers would win the game 7-3 (to take a 3-1 series lead) following the break, a traditional feature of baseball seen whenever mother nature intervenes.

This caused east coast viewers in the USA to stay tuned into the game, and west coast fans (where the baseball was not being shown on Fox) were treated to a re-run of a ‘bootcamp’ episode. While Simon Cowell will not be pleased at the fact that viewers of his show were instead tuned into a collection of baseball players waiting for the rain to stop, a reshuffling of the schedule means that for now, the series will be back on track by next week.

An official release from the X Factor USA website said: “The start of the highly anticipated Judges’ Homes round of The X Factor is postponed until tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 13 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT)… part two of the Judges’ Homes round will now air Sunday, Oct. 16 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) (if no ALCS Game #7). As previously announced, the third and final part of the Judges’ Homes round will air Tuesday, Oct. 18 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).”

A possible side-effect of the delays might be that viewers in other countries, such as the UK, could recieve the episode before the Americans do, though foreign syndication could take a similar path to west coast schedules and air re-runs to maintain American exclusivity. In baseball news, though, game five of the Rangers-Tigers series is due to take place tonight in Michigan tonight, where the PM forecast is for – fairly typicaly - rain. Could the singing competition have to endure another repeat performance?

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While host network Fox, who’s 20th Century Fox production label (and their plans for cutbacks) initiated the stand-off with the cast of the show, did not reveal what was agreed on between the two parties, they did announce the much-anticipated renewal on Friday.

Fox had previously said of their financial problems with the show: “We believe this brilliant series can and should continue, but we cannot produce future seasons under its current financial model. We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement with the voice cast that allows The Simpsons to go on entertaining audiences with original episodes for many years to come.”

The Simpsons executive producer Al Jean was pleased at the news that the series will now be on-air until at least 2014 (after first appearing as a short in 1987, and as a series of its own in 1989), but was quick to point out that this will not be the end of their long-standing run on prime-time TV.

Jean stated: “Our mood is elation. Believe me, we don’t look at this as these will definitely be the last two. We just want to keep fighting and go as long as we can. We really feel this isn’t an end but a beginning. It’s cliche, but it’s the truth.”

He added of the pay cut that the producers and voice actors have had to take (but agreed to): “They understand the world we live in is different in many ways from 2007 [the last contract renewal for show staff]. Everybody loves this show and realises it’s the greatest job in the world and they want to keep doing it.”

He summarised by tipping the animated show to reach 30 seasons before ending (and possibly enough material for a channel of its own), but some may have their sights on an even longer run. While the focus for fans right now will be the new annual Halloween episode on 30 October, how long will their interest be able to continue in the future?

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The rumours are circulating from reports that production company 20th Century Fox are in dispute with the show’s voice actors.

As part of a cost-cutting measure, the studio are said to have demanded that the six main voice actors (Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, and Harry Shearer) take a 45% cut in their salary (which is thought to be around $400,000 per episode (each) from a deal made in 2008) or they will stop producing new episodes for the series, which is currently in its 23rd season on the Fox Network.

While the negotiations are not quite at the ultimatum stage, the regular cast are said to have offered to take on a 30% pay cut (which would leave them each on $280,000 per episode) with the clause that they receive a small percentage of the show’s ‘back-end earnings’.

20th Century Fox remained diplomatic when they issued a public statement on the matter yesterday, reading: “23 seasons in, The Simpsons is as creatively vibrant as ever and beloved by millions around the world. We believe this brilliant series can and should continue, but we cannot produce future seasons under its current financial model. We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement with the voice cast that allows The Simpsons to go on entertaining audiences with original episodes for many years to come.”

While fans of the Fox show, which has been on air since December 1989, will not need to worry about the present, with 20 episodes of the current season still scheduled to air in the coming months (including a groundbreaking 500th episode special), it is future series that will be a worrying prospect. Could a debate over salaries put an end to one of TV’s most iconic shows?

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With this 23rd series set to feature the comedy’s 500th episode milestone, discussions on where to fit the show’s mass archive have already begun, with the most popular suggestion from executives seeming to be granting the Matt Groening-created format a cable network of its own, featuring 100% content from the yellow town of Springfield back-to-back.

While it is unknown if such an idea could be sustainable in the 24/7 format mooted in recent days (even with 500 episodes, all the content would have been screened once each within 10 days), there are several ways that the network proposal could become viable, such as featuring related shows (such as Matt Groening’s other sitcom Futurama), or what many channels do to fill out their schedule, teleshopping (paid programming).

News Corp’s COO Chase Carey first made a public suggestion of a Simpsons Channel last week, and later elaborated on his initial speech, stating: “The point I was making, which I will reemphasize, is that this is a unique franchise…and it provides us a unique opportunity to do some interesting things with it. The Simpsons has been on the air for 23 seasons, yielding a library of programming few series could ever amass. I wouldn’t say we’re drawing up plans to have a Simpsons channel, but, you know, there are a lot of Simpsons fans out there. That said, syndication agreements already in place would prevent anything like that from happening for the next 12 months at least.”

Since premiering as a prime-time animated sitcom in 1989 (a move that was unheard of in the era), The Simpsons has been a worldwide cultural phenomenon in the 22 years it has been on-air, and while many critics will claim that its best years are behind it, the series manages to maintain a decent level of ratings, and has lasted long enough to be listed as the 5th-longest (scripted) TV series of all-time, and not including two shows run by wrestling entertainment series WWE, the 3rd-longest production show (behind Gunslinger (633 episodes) and Lassie (588 episodes)).

While News Corp’s predictions put this new type of idea (a channel dedicated to one show) on hold for between one and five years (due to syndication rights), it is certainly one that has thrust The Simpsons back into the public spotlight just as new episodes are airing. If Fox follow through on their plans, how will viewers react to a yellow-only network?

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With the first episode of the new singing-based reality show being split into two two-hour segments (on Wednesday and Thursday at 8pm), executives at host network Fox had to wait until the Thursday morning to see how their first effort fared in the ratings, but the results may not have been so pleasing.

With an average of 12.2 million viewers on Wednesday evening, the show picked up figures that could be considered solid progress for many shows, but given the headlines, hype, and promotion surrounding the new big-money X Factor, the numbers may not be happy reading for those involved, especially compared to ABC sitcom Modern Family airing a new episode that night to 14.3 million.

Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan was quick to revel in his series’ success, writing on Twitter: “It’s extremely gratifying that a scripted comedy finally beat an over-hyped karaoke contest. Thank you #modernfamily.”

This will be news that requires a bit of a rethink for show boss (and judge) Simon Cowell, who had previously predicted that the show would break the 20m mark on its premiere, adding that he intends to ‘take down’ fellow Fox singing contest American Idol, (which got 21.6m on its tenth season premiere earlier in the year).

Fox head of reality TV Mike Darnell was looking on the positive side, though, claiming to be ’relieved’ at the ratings that they took for the first episode, adding Cowell’s comments on their rival show as ‘lovable showmanship’.

Darnell said of the show needing to live up to its hype: “We lived with the reality that there is an enormous interest in every show during premiere week, and honestly, we’re just relieved this morning. Other than crazy expectations, this is a very good premiere. Hopefully, like many reality shows do during their run, I think X Factor has a real shot at building [in the ratings]“.

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Are Fox responsible for piracy surge?

Fox have put up an eight day delay on catch-up TV streaming to all non-paying customers, although subscribers to Hulu Plus or Dish Network can continue to watch TV shows and movies the day after airing.

This has obviously encouraged viewers to hit illegal downloading sites as reported by TorrentFreak, who said the move had made piracy levels rocket.

Responding to the reports, Fox Televisions senior vice president Scott Grogin said to The Hollywood Reporter, “The TorrentFreak blog post is a little over the top. The story indicates that we ‘took this drastic step in the hope of getting more people to watch shows live and thus make more revenue.’ Nothing could be further from the truth.”

Not sure what planet, Grogin lives on. But he continued, “Authenticating viewers is not about making sure they only watch live…in fact, quite the opposite—we support a ‘TV Everywhere’ proposition and are working with our distribution partners to benefit our businesses.”

The reality is that Fox only want paying customers to watch online content, he said, “We are actively in negotiations with all cable/satellite/telco providers regarding authentication of their customers. We hope to announce several more agreements before the start of the new television season in mid-September.”

So it looks like catch up streaming, which makes money using advertising, is being slowly taken away thanks to greedy networks. It seems that the strategy should have been decided from day one though, as taking away something that was once free will leave a bad taste and ultimately create more pirates.

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Fox send viewers away to piracy sites

The backward move by Fox allows only next day streaming for subscribers of Hulu Plus or the DISH Network. Everyone else, suddenly has to wait over a week to catch hit TV shows such as Glee, The Simpsons, Bones and Family Guy amongst others.

TorrentFreak have been checking and seen a spike in piracy of these hit Fox shows. Looking at the download stats, they looked at Fox shows, Hell’s Kitchen and MasterChef. Illegal downloads of both shows more than doubled. The latest episode of Hell’s Kitchen saw a rise of a whopping 114% when compared to the first three episodes, and MasterChef illegal downloading was even more popular, hitting a 189% rise.

Not an unexpected result after taking away something that viewers had just got used to. TorrentFreak say the obvious, that just because Fox have removed their shows from all catch-up services, doesn’t mean viewers are going to stop watching these shows, but that they’ll find them through other means.

It appears that viewers feel they were forced back into piracy, as TorrenFreak note that from comments on the torrent sites. Many users thanking those providing the uploads said that they had wanted to watch them legal but couldn’t.

And with ABC planning to follow Foxes move, the TV networks can not even hold up the moral argument anymore, as to give free streaming and then make everyone wait a week, or pay is a pretty stupid move. They are not the brightest sparks, and this move just confirms this.

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ABC imposing a catch-up delay for freeloaders

The rule does not apply if your a subscriber of any cable, satellite or IPTV service using the TV Anywhere initiative, or a paying Hulu Plus subscriber. It was expected that other networks may delay streaming via free services as well.

And now we hear that ABC will be joining Fox in the delaying tactics for non-subscribers for catch-up TV. Speaking last week, Disney CEO Bob Iger said,“You are right in your assessment that we’ll basically push the window back or make access to the programming more difficult or later, except if customers are authenticated as a subscriber.”

Iger confirmed that although they were happ distributing content to Hulu and Netflix, the cable companies are whats important and that he does not want any disruption with his existing relationships with the cable companies paying big bucks.

He continued, “The relationship that we have with the distributors is a very valuable one, and it’s one that we aim to respect by both protecting what we currently have and determining or figuring out ways that we can expand on it.”

The TV and cable networks are trying every trick to stop viewers cancelling their subscriptions, or cutting the cord, by putting everything back behind a paywall.

Free online TV is getting more marginalal and the pay options being sweetened to the point where we all re-sign up to a cable company or online subscription. Many will not mind the additional wait, but knowing that everyone else can watch the show will be painful for some.

Viewers will not experience the full effect of the move until the new TV season begins in September.

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Are the days of free online TV ending?

The news that Fox are putting their catch-up TV streams behind a paywall, and feeding freeloaders content eight days later, just goes to show that the networks are not happy with a free ad-supported model on the web.

It seems that the content providers strategy has changed, making the internet an extension of expensive cable and satellite subscriptions and pay services. After Fox, other studios and TV networks are queuing up to start charging. In the UK, ITV are planning to charge for streaming, ABC and other broadcasters may soon follow and put their content behind a paywall.

The trend seems to be for monetizing all TV content while giving less and less for free. It does seem that if this trend continues and the free content gets more diminished, more viewers will go down the road of torrent and piracy sites to get their content

Many viewers will resent extra costs to watch content that is free to watch on TV, and will feel that the ad supported model still pays the networks well.

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Wave goodbye to free Internet TV – CNET

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Fox streams will take longer to come online

That is unless your a paying subscriber, then you can continue to watch next day. The decision by Fox means that starting August 15th, the Fox network will limit next day catch-up streaming to customers who pay for approved cable and satellite services.

The news will not be appreciated by both Fox online and Hulu fans, especially as another of Hulu’s partners, ABC, are considering doing the same thing.

Fox, who are owned by News Corp want to keep cable and satellite distributors happy. They currently do not like paying Fox for content that is also available free online the day after transmission.

Mike Hopkins, president for sales and marketing for Fox Networks, said that the change was about providing a product to “enhance the value of pay television to subscribers.”

Although Hulu makes money, retransmission rights with the big distributors make much more. An eight day delay will help address the situation and maintain the status quo. Although Fox have made encouraging noises, it is not known whether Hulu Plus, the subscription based service will still get content next day. But if not, expect a lot of disgruntled subscribers.

Hulu has both a free service and a paid service, Hulu Plus, that includes full seasons of many series. Hulu Plus, which costs $8 a month, has almost one million subscribers.

Fox have just signed a contract renewal to supply Hulu with content, although full details are not available, it would be fair to assume the eight day delay was included as part of the terms.

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A court in Los Angeles (USA) will be responsible for the case, with the prosecution claiming that Fuller had made a deal over a fee and producer recognition in 2004 as part of an agreement that could see the X Factor format (which was originally considered as a copyright infringment against Idol) allowed on American TV screens only as of 2011.

The lawsuit suggests that producers Fremantle North America and Fox are not honouring the agreement. It claims: “Fox and Fremantle made hundreds of millions of dollars thanks to the creative efforts of Fuller. Now, when it is time to finally perform on these unequivocal promises, Fox and Fremantle refuse to provide Fuller his executive producer credit for defendants’ new television show, The X Factor, and refuse to pay Fuller and executive producer fee ‘commensurate with his duties and stature in the entertainment industry’.

Fuller also notes Fox’s owners News Corp’s recent phone hacking misdemenours (in British tabloid newspaper News of The World), with the statement concluding: “Defendants’ refusal to honour their promises made to Fuller is particularly malicious given that but for Fuller’s agreement, the X Factor show would not be able to broadcast in the United States at all. Fox, and ultimately its parent company, News Corporation, have demonstrated a callous disregard for Fuller’s rights which, given recent developments, reflects a corporate culture – if not a pattern and practice – of wrongful behaviour.”

Fox had mediated in a discussion between Cowell and Fuller agreeing on the broadcasting of the separate formats in 2005, which included Cowell postponing his X Factor USA plans and remaining remaining as a judge on Idol until at least 2011, with Idol in return leaving the British Isles. With the two shows on at separate times of the year on Fox, it seems to make little sense to argue over credit listings other than on principle, but will Fuller get what he wants from this case?

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It is business as usual for Disney after the rumors of a possible sale to Yahoo! And that means securing long term content deals with major providers. And it seems that they have a Disney content deal pretty much wrapped up.

Hulu renewing content deals ready for possible sale?

It has also been reported that the new deals will increase the number of ads to be shown. Increasing advertising revenue even more (Hulu already accounts for a third of all online advertising), and making Hulu even more “sellable”.

A report in AdAge says that, according to two insiders, Hulu and Disney have reached a “tentative agreement” to renew on streaming content rights. This means more streaming from TV network ABC (owned by Disney) as well as News Corps, Fox which is also part owned by Disney.

A report in Variety says that Hulu has also renewed its agreement with Fox. Renewed shows will include Family Guy, Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy, Simpsons and Glee.

If Hulu is to be sold then licensing agreements and content rights will determine both it’s selling price and desirability to prospective owners. In fact it was a lack of renewals that led to the Hulu IPO failing.

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The televised auditions of the singing contest, as well as an introduction to the show will occur on the evening of Wednesday 21 September at 20:00 ET, before the following day (Thursday 22 September, also 20:00 ET) sees a further two-hour episode containing more of the opening auditions.

After this opening extravaganza from Fox, the show is likely to revert to airing once a week, gradually going through the auditions, boot camp, and judge’s houses stages, before reaching the weekly live shows, which will air two episodes a week (a performance show with a results show the following day), if the UK format is to be followed. The first series of X Factor USA is then due to end in December, much like its counterpart across the Atlantic has been doing throughout its seven series so far.

Following the controversial appointment and sacking of English singer Cheryl Cole, the line-up for the series will see judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger, and LA Reid joined by show presenter Steve Jones.

Nicole had originally been the co-host of Steve Jones, but Cheryl’s sacking after visiting just two audition cities (Los Angeles and Chicago), meant that the Pussycat Dolls singer was promoted to a seat on the panel.

A loose end left by the long-running Cheryl Cole dismissal story, though, was whether or not the audition clips featuring her will be used on the show. Fox, however, do not seem keen on the idea of dropping all that footage, and have claimed that the Los Angeles and Chicago auditions will feature on the series, with executives likely to describe Cheryl as a ‘guest judge’.

The show has captured the imagination of the American public, with hopefuls turning out in their thousands for the unfilmed producer’s auditions, while the show has also implemented a greater level of integration with technology and networking, with YouTube and ‘recording booth’ auditions being made avaliable for people who were unable to journey across America to perform in person for the producers.

With a record-breaking $5M recording contract on the line along with global stardom, X Factor USA is likely to be responsible for the next big music sensation, but who will it be?

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Twentieth Television are said to be testing out and working with the potential syndication program for several weeks, before deciding whether or not to make the format national.

The show, titled Dish Nation, is being described as a 30 minute-long daily ‘pop culture/celebrity news show’ that bears similarities to TMZ, with the trial run beginning on 25 July and lasting for six-weeks in the seven above-mentioned markets.

The series is to feature four different drive-time radio teams (from New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Detroit), alongside external reporters, with the show taking the best of the day’s collective action (as filmed in the radio studios) and put to animations, pictures, and video clips, as well as segments highlighting the local news and comedy features to run with the showbiz discussions. The show will naturally be looking to emulate and rival the Warner Bros.-produced TMZ, but will it even get out of the planning phase?

The local testing phase is an approach that is used commonly by Fox as an idea of the audience reaction to a project before taking it to a bigger stage. Notable success stories of this method include shows and formats that made it to national syndication such as A Current Affair and Live With Regis and Kathie Lee.

Producers already seem confident that Dish Nation will join them on national TV, with Frank Cicha, a senior vice-president of programming at Fox TV Stations, stating of the new show: “On paper, this program has the potential to be a strong companion to local news, TMZ, or comedies. We are really looking forward to seeing it.”

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Glenn Beck going online

Beck’s company Mercury Radio Arts, rvealed that a new subscription online news channel, GBTV will feature a daily two hour long talk show. And the host will be leaving his Fox News show at the end of June.

Viewers that want a piece of Beck’s online will be charged $4.95 for access to that program, or $9.95 for additional content including shows and documentaries.

Many think it’s a risky move that could end up subscriberless. But they fail to recognise that he has an existing subscription service with 80,000 subscribers already paying $9.95 monthly.

Talking to the New York Times, Beck’s said:- “I think we might be a little early, but I’d rather be ahead of the pack than part of it.”

Considering that he can earn way more than Fox pay him even if he gets just 50,000 subscribers, you can understand why he is making the online move.

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Glenn Beck Unveils GBTV – All Access Music Group

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