• by Wayne Friedman , December 1, 2005

Broadcasting networks competing with Fox all exhaled yesterday--Fox is keeping the number-one-rated network show, "American Idol," on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

For weeks, there has been wild speculation that Fox was strongly considering moving the show to Wednesday and Thursday nights. This move would wreak havoc with many networks--especially CBS--which currently leads the night in the adult 18-49 viewers ratings race.

"There were rumors out there --we don't know why," said Preston Beckman, executive VP of strategic program planning and research. "We always play around with a lot of scenarios. We see no reason to confirm nor deny these reports."

Not when you have the number-one-rated show in network television. "Idol"'s Tuesday hour-long episode is its "performance" edition, in which singers compete with one another. Its Wednesday program is the half-hour "results" show, which reveals the winners from viewer voting the previous night.

Every season, Beckman says Fox considers other nights to play "Idol"-- such as Sunday and Monday. A Sunday time slot would mess with ABC, which dominates the night with "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy."

Program analysts speculate that rumors may have surfaced by way of NBC. The theory is that NBC was looking to make a big splash by getting back into the Thursday night game--a night NBC owned for almost two decades.

NBC, according to programming experts, could be considering launching four comedies between 8:00 pm and 10:00 p.m. on Thursday. But before committing to the plan, it first wants to see whether Fox would make a move for "Idol" to Thursday, said one competing program executive.

"Idol" will premiere with a two-hour episode on Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 8:00 p.m. This week, Fox started up the "Idol" marketing machine with new TV promos, promising that the new edition will be 'the best ever." As opposed to other successful reality shows, Beckman says Fox didn't want to mess with its success--such as, for example, an "American Idol Junior" show. This means no spin-offs--no added punctuation, no "American Idol: Whatever."

"We have never colonized the show," said Beckman. Fox will also begin its other now-regular January program start--the one-hour drama "24." Despite NBC's big Torino Olympics programming that will occupy 19 days in February--the high-rated sporting event that normally scares away networks from airing new programming--both "Idol" and "24" will air new episodes straight through the spring, with no repeats.