• 'American Idol' Qaasim Middleton Save: Scott Borchetta Says Judges May Regret Using It Last Week

    The judges on American Idol - Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. - used their one "save" of the season to keep the eccentric performer Qaasim Middleton in the competition last week. Mentor Scott Borchetta told Taste of Country that the panel may end up regretting that decision. The Big Machine label head was not putting down Middleton's talent, though. He just thought it was a little early in the show to use the save.
  • Scott Borchetta: 'American Idol' Contestant Maddie Walker Did Not Rupture Her Appendix

    Maddie Walker was in visible pain last week on American Idol, and after she sang "She's Country" by Jason Aldean, she was escorted off stage by a doctor. Taste of Country reports that former contestant Savion Wright tweeted that Walker ruptured her appendix (the post has since been deleted). Scott Borchetta said the rumors were false, but not much else is known about Walker's ongoing condition.
  • Scott Borchetta Agrees With 'American Idol' Results So Far: Big Machine Head Talks Clark Beckham and Jax

    Big Machine's Scott Borchetta thinks voters for 'American Idol' have chosen wisely so far this season. The record label head has been tapped as one of the mentors for Season 14, and last week he appeared on the show to gush over the contestants -- specifically Clark Beckham. Borchetta will be involved with tonight's March 11 episode as the crew heads back to Hollywood, 'Taste of Country' noted.
  • 'American Idol' Team Talks New Format, Last Year's Low Ratings at Television Critics Association Press Event

    "American Idol" is essentially trimming the fat during Season 14 in order to combat low ratings. The crew held a panel for the Television Critics Association press tour yesterday, Jan. 17, and talked about the singing competition's new format for performance rounds. In the coming weeks, "Idol" will condense performances and voting to one night a week in order to shake things up, "The Hollywood Reporter" notes."We're pleased to be down to one show a week," executive producer Trish Kinane said. "We have all the drama of an elimination and all the performances. I think it's going to be jam-packed. There's a lot to do in that one show."Traditionally, "Idol" held one night of performances and one night of results. The show's airtime is down from 55 hours last year to 41. That means less excruciatingly drawn-out cliffhangers and more focus on the singing action.
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