‘American Idol’ Ratings Continue To Disappoint

American Idol is still struggling in the ratings.

FOX’s long-running talent competition has proved to be somewhat of a disappointment for network executives this season. The addition of two new judges and rumors of behind-the-scenes drama still hasn’t brought people back into the fold.

If American Idol doesn’t show an increase in viewership during the live portion of the season, then FOX could return to the drawing board.

“This is when the show pulls in its biggest viewing figures of the season,” a source told RadarOnline. “Traditionally, the live show phase pulls in the highest ratings, and Fox will be looking at this closely to see how it performs.”

The insider added, “At the moment, and as the recent figures have shown, it’s financially performing under par because of its high production costs. The network will look at that and consider what to do next.”

Although FOX may have to make some changes in order to recapture the success of the earlier seasons, the source said the network currently has no plans to cancel the show at the moment.

American Idol ratings are less than half of what they were during the show’s peak. The talent competition has only managed to average around 18 million viewers per episode this season. When the program was at its height, nearly 37 million people tuned in to watch the drama unfold.

Last Wednesday’s numbers were reportedly down from the previous week; the show only averaged around 12.8 million viewers. Although these certainly aren’t the numbers FOX is looking for at the moment, it was enough for American Idol to rise to the top of the evening’s ratings.

As the show enters the live phase of its broadcast, FOX executives will likely keep a close eye on just how well the show does. Since this is typically the most popular section of the season, chances are the program could rebound when everything is said and done.

Are you a fan of American Idol? Are you disappointed the show has suffered in the ratings this season?