Fox Broadcasting Co

Television's reigning champion, "American Idol," returns this week and the talent contest is expected to be more popular -- and profitable -- than ever. The Fox show begins its seventh season Tuesday against the walking wounded. As the strike by the Writers Guild of America grinds into its 11th week, rival networks are scrambling to stay alive.

The New York Giants weren't the only ones to walk away winners from Super Bowl XLII. News Corp. said it reaped $250 million in advertising revenue for the day of the game -- the biggest day in Fox network history. The football game, with the Giants' unexpected victory over the previously undefeated New England Patriots, was the second-most-watched telecast ever, with 97.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Stephen McPherson, president of ABC Entertainment, has decided to waltz around the competition this time. The network president, often lauded for his bold and successful move to pit ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" against CBS powerhouse "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," announced Sunday that he will program his surprise reality hit "Dancing With the Stars" around the most popular show on television, Fox's "American Idol."

Reality shows can have spinoffs, too. The producers of "American Idol" are launching "The Search for the Next Great American Band," a new talent series. That's a working title for the Fox show, which will "scour the country, seeking musical groups of all ages, styles and genres," producers 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia North America said Thursday. An air date for the show was not announced. The format, as described by the production company, parallels "American Idol."

Gary and Sharon Rosier just wanted a new garage. Instead, they say, their Chicago-area home was practically ruined for a Fox TV reality show. The couple were approached by Hollywood scouts while they were attending a Chicago boat show with their three children, including their teenage son Steven, in 2004. The scouts said they were looking for families with special needs who could benefit from "up to a $1 million" in home improvements, and the Rosier family fit the bill.

Fox, the No. 1 television network, is trying to bring some balance to the force. As the final network to unveil its fall schedule this week for advertisers, Fox executives acknowledge the lofty success is lopsided -- coming from a handful of powerhouses, such as its quirky medical drama "House" and the cultural phenomenon that is "American Idol."

A federal judge tossed out a lawsuit that entertainer Carol Burnett brought against Fox over use of her well-known Charwoman character in an episode of the animated TV series "Family Guy." Burnett alleged in her copyright infringement lawsuit, filed in March, that the show's creators did not have her consent to include the cleaning woman character she created in the late 1950s, while a repertoire player on "The Garry Moore Show," in an April 2006 episode.

Fox Broadcasting Co. named Kevin Reilly as its chief entertainment scheduler Monday, less than six weeks after his ouster as the top programmer at fourth-place NBC. To make room for Reilly, the News Corp. division bumped up Peter Liguori to chairman of Fox, where he will spend more time extending the network's programs to the Web and mobile phones.

To make room for a new game show night and to give a new drama a better launching pad, Fox announced several changes to its fall lineup Friday. "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" will be paired with "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" on Thursday nights, beginning Sept. 6. The new reality series "Kitchen Nightmares," originally slated for the 9 p.m. Thursday slot, will move to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, beginning Sept. 19, when "Bones" was to air. "Bones" will now open at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept.

Mike Darnell, the man behind a string of sometimes provocative and sometimes trashy reality TV shows such as "When Animals Attack," "Joe Millionaire," "The Simple Life" and "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire," said Monday that he was staying put at Fox Broadcasting Co. For the last two months, Darnell has been courted by more than half a dozen companies, including Fox rival NBC Universal. "It was an emotional nightmare for me and my wife," Darnell said in an interview.