CTV Announces Fourth Season of Canadian Idol
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Toronto, ON (January 17, 2006) Canada will go to the polls again this summer to elect a fourth Canadian Idol. As American Idol premieres its fifth season tonight on CTV, the network announced today that Canadian Idol will return for a fourth blockbuster season this summer.  CTV and producing partners Insight Productions are gearing up for another cross-country search for Canada's next undiscovered singing sensation, an 11-week tour scheduled to begin this February. Tomorrow night, Wednesday, January 18 at 7 p.m. ET (check local listings), CTV's eTalk Daily will reveal the 11 cities on the 2006 Canadian Idol Audition Tour as well as announce significant changes to the audition process. Canadian Idol is based on FremantleMedia and 19TV's smash-hit international format Idols. CTV also announced today that Ben Mulroney, who has hosted the series since it began in 2003, is back on board to host Canadian Idol when it returns to anchor CTV's summer schedule this June. Four years after it premiered in North America, the Idol phenomenon continues to gather steam on both sides of the border. Tonight's American Idol premiere signals the return of America's most-watched television program and today's Canadian Idol announcement comes on the heels of another record-breaking season for the Canadian series last year. As 2005 Canadian Idol winner Melissa O'Neil and first runner-up Rex Goudie continue to heat up the charts with their debut CDs released late last year, Billboard magazine reports that American Idol competitors accounted for 17 Number One singles in 2005. In its third season in 2005, Canadian Idol continued to break records. Viewers cast an astonishing 38 million votes, an increase of 19 per cent compared to 2004 and more than one for every man, woman and child in the country. On September 14, 2005, 17-year-old Melissa O'Neil became Canada's first female Canadian Idol and the youngest ever. She went on to sign a recording contract with Sony BMG Music (Canada) Inc. and the next day released her first single, Alive, which debuted at the top of the Singles Chart and remained Number One for seven weeks in a row. In the end, the single went Four Times-Platinum and continues to chart high. In November, O'Neil released her self-titled debut CD which has become a Certified Gold Record in Canada. Her second single, "Let it Go," is currently climbing the charts and is in heavy rotation on Much Music. O'Neil begins a 35-city national concert tour with Canadian Idol runner-up Rex Goudie on Feb. 17, 2006. Goudie's close second place finish has not been disappointing in the least for the Newfoundland native: he too was signed to a recording deal by Sony BMG. In December, Goudie released his first CD Under The Lights. The CD which has gone Gold in Canada and debuted at Number Five on Canada's Album Charts ahead of artists such as INXS, Nickelback and System of A Down. His new single, "Run," is currently Number 22 on the Hot AC radio chart and climbing. O'Neil and Goudie's 2005 triumphs follow the success of Canadian Idol's 2004 graduating class who continue to make waves in the Canadian music scene. Among their many achievements:
Web links: www.melissaoneil.com |
