AMERICAN IDOL RATINGS SMELLS LIKE TROUBLE FOR THE SHOW.

ANOTHER UPHILL FIGHT: Regarding the ratings dip for the season 11 premiere of American Idol Wednesday night , this is the fifth consecutive year in which the Idol premiere has come in lower than the one the previous year. Last year, despite the absence of Simon Cowell and the debuts of unknown quantities Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, Idol managed to claw back from its weak debut, off 13% from the previous year, to notch a 5% increase in its season-long audience.