Good news for M-Net-only subscribers but not for DStv Compact viewers unfortunately: the hit reality show 'American Idol' moves from M-Net Series to M-Net in January 2010, when the new 9th season premieres.

The show has been broadcast on M-Net Series since the second season in 2003 — Season 1 wasn't broadcast here.

Since Season 6 the show has ran concurrently with the US, starting a month or two after the US premiere and catching up by the end of the season — with double episodes so that the Finale could be broadcast live.

No premiere date for Season 9 has been announced in the US yet so no date has been scheduled by M-Net but it will still run concurrently: closer to the US running time than on Series.

The latest we've heard is that it will run about a week after the US broadcast and will end in a live (middle-of-the-night) Finale. It's also looking likely that it'll be on Sunday nights, in the 17h00 - 19h00 reality timeslot.

No reasons for the move have been given but we suspect that they're threefold: the show has never had quite the same sense of spotlight and attention on Series as other primetime reality shows have had on M-Net* and of course, by constantly shifting shows between channels (think: 'Boston Legal', 'Lost' etc) there's the usual pressure on subscribers to sign up for the Premium DStv bouquet.

Also, we've heard that one of the objectives with M-Net is to make it the premiere hotspot-entertainment channel — as it used to be when it ran as a solo paycaster.

What the season holds in store: as you may know, judge Paula Abdul is pint-sized and history. She left the show after Season 8 and is being replaced by Ellen DeGeneres.

Judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara Dio Guardi will all be back, as will long-time host Ryan Seacrest.

The Idols Gives Back charity drive also returns, after disappearing last year because of the recession. At the time the show said that they felt it wasn't the right time to ask people to contribute cash so it?s comeback suggests that the show?s hopeful that the recession is getting better.

The show premieres in mid-January — we'll keep you scooped when we hear a definite date.

*This could also be an impression because of the memory of the response to reality shows when Open Time was still around e.g. the first South African Idols. When you think about the ins and outs of it, the closure of Open Time really had a huge impact on the Sunday night reality timeslot.

Article provided by www.tvsa.co.za