American Idol doesn't have to be fixed. Whoever came up with the idea is a flippin' genius! The contestants pay something like $400 to audition. That's something like 30,000 people at every major city they go to for auditions.
Once the viewers start voting, they're generating revenue from the calls and the text messaging.
Then there are the commercials, the CDs, the tour of the ten finalists, and the percentage of the winners' recording deals and management fees.
Like the rest of the music business, the performer only gets a pittance of the revenues generated. Everyone else gets rich in the process. It doesn't matter who wins. The creators of the show are pulling in money hand over fist. Whatta deal!
GW
Actually, it is free to audition.