Are celebrity judges ruining American Idol and other talent shows?

Killing the Golden Goose? By relying on Jennifer Lopez (American Idol) and Britney Spears (The X Factor), are talent shows putting celebrities ahead of discovering new talent?

By Jil Serjeant,?Reuters / May 18, 2012

"American Idol" judges, from left, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson are shown during Hollywood Week in Pasedena, Calif. Are high-paid celebrity judges helping or hurting American Idol and other TV talent shows?

(AP Photo/Fox, Michael Becker)

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Time was when TV talent shows set out to turn wannabes into stars.

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These days? Not so much. It's the celebrity judges who are raking in the cash and using TV contests not only as a way to re-launch a fading career, but to further boost a thriving one.

For music stars in an era of weak record sales, the trend spells victory for their bank account, but for fans and the music industry always hungering for a new star, it's a loss. And for TV networks, the once cheap-to-produce shows are ever more expensive, yet they don't always pay off in bigger audiences.

RECOMMENDED: Who are the best-selling artists from American Idol?

As recent winners of "The Voice" and "American Idol" fade into obscurity, pop princess Britney Spears and ex-Disney Channel teen star Demi Lovato have signed up to judge "The X Factor," while controversial radio DJ Howard Stern is the biggest star on the new season of "America's Got Talent".

Spears and Stern are among the most highly-paid TV judges, each earning a reported $15-$20 million annual salary - a bigger figure than many A-list Hollywood actors command for a movie. Last year, Jennifer Lopez got a salary bump from $12 million to $20 million a year on American Idol.

"The whole playing field has shifted from when 'American Idol' started (2002) and the judges were people whose biggest hits were behind them. Now it is seen as a really viable option for current artists," said Melinda Newman, a music blogger for entertainment website Hitfix.com.

Spears and Stern join a roster of celebrity TV judges that includes Christina Aguilera, Steven Tyler, Sharon Osbourne, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton who have seen their fame, record sales and endorsement deals skyrocket since they began sitting in front of the stage rather than on it.

Kelly Clarkson, the first "American Idol" champion and now a Grammy-winning singer with worldwide celebrity, joins the judge club next week on "Duets," which pairs would-be singers with established stars.

Lyndsey Parker, managing editor of Yahoo! Music, said a lot of people were surprised at Clarkson's decision, but "no-one is looking at that as a step back."

With the focus on the judges, what happens to the wannabe pop stars these shows were supposed to discover and promote?
"The unfortunate thing is that as there becomes more emphasis on hiring famous names, it goes off the contestants," Parker said.

IT PAYS TO JUDGE

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