Twenty-First Century Fox Inc’s schedule for the upcoming television season will feature a high-profile show on Batman called “Gotham,” while the company will reduce the air time for the struggling singing contest program “American Idol.”
“Gotham,” which stars Jada Pinkett Smith, follows a policeman in the world of Batman and charts the origins of the DC Comics superhero.
The 13-year-old “American Idol,” which has been dragging down Fox’s ratings, will start the season at two nights a week during the auditions phase, but “it’s quite likely it’ll end up being a two-hour show on one night through most of its run,” said Fox Broadcasting’ Entertainment Chairman Kevin Reilly on a Monday conference call about the new line-up.
The move will cut down the Idol’s hours to 37 from roughly 50 hours for the season.
Shares of Fox were up 3.5 percent at $35.35 in morning trading on news that the company could consolidate its stakes in European pay-TV companies.
Fox, along with its broadcast rivals, plans to announce its new shows to advertisers in an annual spring presentation known as the upfronts, which start for the networks on Monday.
Reuters