Following the recent announcement that Sweden is to be the 30th country to
launch its own local Idols series, a number of broadcasters have signed
up for second series in northern and eastern Europe including Serbian commercial
broadcaster RTV BK Telecom, TV3 in Denmark and TV2 in Iceland.
In Denmark, the debut
episode of Idols – Ærlig jagt. Ægte talent launched in September 2003
to ratings 250% higher than the broadcaster’s average. Iceland’s Idols –
Stjörnuleit also launched in September 2003 where the number of votes
received during the series were three times that of the population.
RTV BK Telecom has
ordered a second series extending its talent search to Bosnia and Macedonia. The
popular first series of Idol launched in October 2003 in Serbia and
Montenegro and saw ratings build to 230% above the broadcaster’s slot average.
Anastasia sound-alike Cveta has enjoyed fame and fortune since winning the
Serbia/Montenegro Idol crown in March. She is the first Serbian
national to release a single – the country does not have a singles chart - and
her debut album is due to launch this autumn. The show’s audience built by 116%
during the first series, peaking at 33% for the final live performance show.
Latest international
Idols successes include the culmination of the third American Idol
series on 26th May which saw an unprecedented 65 million votes recorded for the
final episode on FOX. Winner, Fantasia Barrino, went on to become the first
debut artist in America’s history to go straight to No.1 in the Billboard Chart
with a debut single.
Croatia’s first local
series, Hrvatski Idol, became the second most popular show on Nova TV
after the final episode, which aired 5th June, delivered 28% of the viewing
audience, 119% above the channel’s primetime average share. This success was
swiftly followed on 20th June by the Czech Republic’s first local series,
Cesko hleda Superstar, which goes down in Idols history as the
highest rating local series to date having achieved a massive 93% market share
within its target audience for the final live results show.
Sue Green, Managing Director, Nordic & Central Europe, comments: “The interest
in Idols is far from waning after over three years of international
rollout. These recent commissions indicate that there is still an appetite for
the format . I’m delighted that the success of Idols in Serbia and
Montenegro has led BK to extend its talent search this time around. It means
that this new series will be even more reflective of the region’s very special
and unique culture and that it will be enjoyed by many more viewers in the
Balkans. I look forward to working closely with BK Telecom to ensure a second
successful series.”
For further information:
Debra Johnson, FremantleMedia
Tel. + 44 (0) 20 7691 6835
[email protected]
Heather Stanley,
FremantleMedia
Tel. + 44 (0) 20 7691 6824
[email protected]
