Sanjaya Stern

Bob Thorney · Sanjaya Stern

4/3/2007

Can Sanjaya Malakar fulfill Howard Stern dream to ruin American Idol?

American Idol has come down to a power struggle between Sirius satellite radio jock Howard Stern and American Idol judge Simon Cowell over Sanjaya Malakar and his role of ruining the popular show.

American Idol finalists are on the verge of a Sanjaya Malakar revolt, according to a news report from AOL Entertainment website TMZ.Com.

One of the entertainment portal's insiders told the web site that some of the remaining "Idol" contestants are simply fed up to see the 17-year-old not-so-talented singer (better known for his ever morphing hair styles) continue to advance while other "more talented" singers like Stephanie Edwards get sent home.
Meanwhile the name of the singer of Indian origin has been turned into a strange verb by Idol Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe. "I was myself "Sanjayaed" purely and simply because he's got guts, this kid, and you have to applaud that." he said.

Howard said he hopes to turn American Idol into a farce and eventually destroy its popularity by supporting Sanjaya Malakar. "We are corrupting the entire thing." said controversial Stern on his Sirius Satellite radio show last Thursday. His efforts are supported by the anti-idol web site votefortheworst.com, which also supports Malakar.

Simon Cowell is at the opposite end of the spectrum in the Sanjaya's quarrel. Cowell threatened to quit American Idol should Sanjaya win. "I won't be back if he does." Simon recently told the television show Extra.

FOX stands between the two men. A network spokesperson said that Howard Stern efforts do not affect the results. "With 30 million votes each week the power of true fans of American Idol dwarfs any attempts of people trying to gain notoriety." FOX spokesperson said in his statement.

Fans are divided on Sanjaya but are also probably getting bored of all the hype around him as well. Sanjaya Malakar is most popular among young teenagers and the Indian community.

Online betting site bookmaker.com seems to have little faith in Sanjaya's chances to win the competition. His odds to win American Idol currently sit at +3000 (30 to 1) while his odds to be eliminated next sit at +300 (3 to 1). Learn more about American Idol betting odds and betting techniques by reading our American Idol Betting tutorial.

Let's just hope voters will judge Sanjaya Malakar for his singing performance and forget all about the attempts to undermine the credibility of the most popular TV reality show of the season.

Visit the American Idol Betting Forum between Tuesday and Wednesday for the latest updates on betting trends, betting and handicapping tips and weekly best elimination bets at http://www.towforum.com/american-idol-season-6/

All odds subject to change without notice. Odds courtesy of Bookmaker.com

TOW American Idol Betting Odds - Published April 3 2007 – 6.50am EST - TheOnlinewire.com

Bob Thorney

http://www.eog.com/news/full-article.aspx?id=20606

American Idol: Sirius Loves American Idiot

written April 4, 2007

His singing is often as out of touch as his hairstyle, but America doesn't seem to mind. American Idol contestant Sanjaya Malakar has been spared through several elimination rounds.

His eclectic ways have made him a cult favorite, despite his vocal shortcomings. A polling system that lets fans vote for who they want to stay on -- instead of who they want off -- has helped Sanjaya survive. Another factor helping Sanjaya's cause is that Sirius (Nasdaq: SIRI) talk show star Howard Stern has encouraged his audience to discredit the popular show, broadcast on News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) Fox network, by keeping Sanjaya on.

Most people feel that Stern is saving Sanjaya. I see it differently. Sanjaya is saving Stern. Think about it. Now that Stern is playing to smaller paying audiences at Sirius, when was the last time he made headlines the way he is now?

In a brilliant move, Stern has been able to piggyback on the success of American Idol, playing an integral part in one of the more fascinating developments of an already popular show.

The non-Sirius subscriber is now starting to read about what Stern is saying on his show. Curiosity is starting to kick in, just as it did when Stern went on a media blitz over the 2005 holiday season, as he bid terrestrial radio goodbye.

Stern has served Sirius well since his arrival 15 months ago. Sirius has continuously lapped XM Satellite Radio (Nasdaq: XMSR) in landing net new subscribers. However, after years of growth, Sirius expects to tack on fewer net accounts this year than it did last year. XM peaked two years ago.

Can Sanjaya save more than Stern and Sirius? Could he save satellite radio itself? With the planned merger of Sirius and XM -- no matter how unlikely -- a simple Sanjaya-pimping stunt may be just what it takes to awaken retail interest in satellite radio again.

Source: MSNBC

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