'Idol' Ratings Hitting Sour Note

Ratings monster “American Idol” is showing viewership cracks in its seventh season, and rival networks are circling, hoping to steal some of the more than 20 million viewers who tune into the Fox hit each week, reports the Los Angles Times. “Idol” viewership among women 18 to 34 is off 20%, and Tuesday’s show was the lowest-rated among 18- to 49-year-olds in five years.

“Idol” is off 7% from last season, not bad considering the rest of network television is showing a 10% decline. Fox execs say the show has held up remarkably well, but add they’re not surprised it’s slipping as shows tend to peak between the fifth and seventh season. “Everything has a sell-by date,” says the executive producer. (More American Idol stories.)