NBC - HOW AMERICAN IDOL WAS BORN

Elisabeth Murdoch, who recently purchased NBC Co-Chairman Ben Silverman's production company Reveille for $125 million and combined it with her company, Shine Ltd., has told the New York Times how her father, Rupert Murdoch, came to buy American Id ol, Fox television's biggest hit ever (and likely network television's, as well). She said that she was watching the original British version, Pop Idol, and "happened to call my dad in the middle of the show because I was so excited. And he said, 'Oh, I think someone's shown that to us.' I said, 'You have got to buy it.' As one does when you chat with your family, you are very direct. So I was very direct. So Dad went off and said [to Fox executives], 'You have to buy this show.' And therein l ies the luck of television." Asked if she could foresee a day when she might return to her father's News Corp, she replied, Yes, I could. Do I know how, or when, or what shape that would take? No. I don't really ever want to leave Shine. So I don't know how it would happen one day, but it's certainly not out of the cards."

24/03/2008