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Talent shows have affected the lives of many as a successful form of broadcast entertainment in the 21^st century. With the variety of shows on TV, it’s hard to say where the idea of talent shows on a mass scale came into being and where it is headed.

In fact they are as old as TV itself.  But they had a renaissance with the likes of  Star Search, a show that ran from 1983 to 1985 in the US that featured among others Christina Aguilera. The purpose of the talent shows was to serve as a platform of mass exposure to the public eye and launch careers for celebrities such as Kelly Cl arkson, who won the first series of American Idol.

The growth of the popularity of these talent shows has evolved from entertainment to a business. This is seen in an example of Simon Cowell, founder of the various “Got Talent” ventures, which sells franchise licenses to countries to host the show. The show took off  in 39 countries and the number is increasing as the popularity of X-Factor and “Got Talent” shows continue to grow.

On a similar side of showing talent, the concept of X-factor and “Got Talent” was taken a step further with dance competitions such as So You Think You Can Dance and modelling shows like America’s Next Top Model.

The popularity of these shows have shaped youth culture and influenced media. The UK University calculated and reported on 24^th January 2012 that X-factor and Britain’s Got Talent have 10 million viewers every week.

Not only is this business successful for talent seekers, but also a profitable business; The Guardian reports  X-Factor generated $100m in advertising revenue alone for 2009. Meanwhile, The Mirror writes that Simon Cowell’s income was about $28m last year.

With the number of viewers skyrocketing along with the profits for these talent shows, as long as the ratings are kept on top, it’s a successful business venture for media and supporting businesses and careers.

By: Maleeha Naseem
HGN Features Editor, London Campus 

Photo Source: Le High Valley Live