New Blood For Interscope & American Idol?

Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Seven Tyler, Ryan Seacrest, Jimmy Iovine

This past week marked the debut of American Idol’s 10th season overall, and the first without its star judge Simon Cowell. Along with Simon, the replacement of the notable new judges,Warner Bros Records executive and song writer Kara DioGuardi, and Ellen Degeneres, help turn the show into something very very different.  The hope was however that incorporating the new blood of Aerosmith’s Stven Tyler, and Jennifer Lopez as judges would breathing new life into the show, at least for now.  The same approach is being taken on the show’s actual music making side as well.

As it has been reported since in early fall, American Idol has moved its music distribution to Universal Music Group’s Interscope Records.  As a result, just as the show has been retooled, Interscope is shaking things up  as well.  Music industry trade Magazine, Hits Daily Double, reports that industry vet Ron Fair will join the team, working directly with Interscope Chairman, Jimmy Iovine, and Executive Vice President Larry Jackson, (Fomerly of Sony Music’s RCA Jive Label Group)  on the day to day riggers of American Idol’s music component.  Ron’s accolades include everything from career development of Christina Agulera, music supervision of 9os hit movies, Reality Bites, and Pretty Woman, and former Chairman of Geffen Records.

Iovine indicated during an Idol press conference, that Interscope’s involvement  in the hit Fox show is intended to include more of a music industry mentoring aspect.  Such a component is surly intended to help better groom the artists for the record making process for the record buying public. This is no doubt intended to create a more consistent convergence rate of contestants going from lovable American Idol star, to over all successful recording star.  This will be important because competition for the music TV audience will be steep.

Simon Cowell’s hit British show  already famous for such a formula, X Factor is being imported to the US, and NBC is currently developing their own new music competition show. NBC’s The Voice, also appears to be borrowing from that same idea. With all of that going on, it will be quite interesting to see where the 10 year old American Idol ranks.  TV production aside, the talent of Ron Fair and Larry Jackson, who has worked with the likes of Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, and Britney  Spears, is bound to make Idol a contender for Season 10.