From Nick Patch of the Canadian Press:
Looking back on 10th anniversary of ‘Canadian Idol’
It was a decade ago this week that “Canadian Idol” debuted, and it was also something of a premiere for host Ben Mulroney.
Then only 27 and better-known to Canadians as the son of a former prime minister rather than a ubiquitous fixture of entertainment news coverage, Mulroney recalls watching the show’s taped premiere at a friend’s place with 10 or so others. Afterward, they hopped in a taxi and headed off to a midtown Toronto sports bar, and they were dropped off a small hike away. Continue reading.
The thing that always will bug me about the cancellation of Canadian Idol is that the show did get a lot of viewers coast to coast, just not in Toronto and Vancouver where the bulk of the business model was aimed at. Even in the U.S. the ratings aren’t as great in the major cities but the show until recently still thrived in most of the country.