Big CBS love launches American Idol Season 12 exclusively in India

Mumbai: After the successful run of The X Factor USA while cashing in on the post-digitization opportunities among English GECs, BIG CBS LOVE, the leading English GEC amongst elite urban women, is all set to air the 12th season of the world's most loved singing reality show, American Idol, concurrent with the US. The latest season will not only see Ryan Seacrest return as host on the show, but also a starry lineup of judges including singing sensations Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj, country singer Keith Urban and the original judge of American Idol, Randy Jackson. With the promise to continue enthralling audiences, American Idol Season 12 will premiere on BIG CBS LOVE on 18th January 2013 and will air every Friday and Saturday at 9pm.

American Idol, Simon Cowell's most successful creation till date, is one of the most successful reality shows in the history of television. Having provided a stepping stone for some record-breaking singers, the 12th season of the show will be judged by a panel of judges with a combined experience of over 75 years in the international music industry. A concurrent telecast, featuring the judges - eternal diva Mariah Carey, the quirky and fun rapper and R&B singer Nicki Minaj, country music crooner Keith Urban, and award-winning record producer Randy Jackson whose presence has fueled the show since its very first season - will enable local and international fans to witness history-in-the-making as the next singing sensation to take the world by storm will be selected.

Indian audiences are in for a visual treat as the auditions process for the latest season of American Idol witnesses a re-jig with small-towners being able to be a part of the show through the ‘AI Small Town Audition Bus Tour' which will visit 10 small towns in USA. Adding to the suspense element bound to grab viewer attention, American Idol Season 12 goes digital with the ‘Nominate An Idol' Program which enables friends and family members to secretly nominate introverted singer hopefuls through a video helping them proceed to the next round. BIG CBS LOVE is promoting American Idol Season 12 heavily through a 360-degree holistic marketing campaign which reaches out to audiences through multiple touch-points like print, radio, electronic, OOH and digital mediums. The channel will also host an online talent hunt for aspiring singers called ‘Love To Sing' with Talenthouse.com which will allow fans from across the country to be a part of the American Idol experience. The winner of the ‘Love to Sing' contest will get the unique opportunity to witness American Idol LIVE in Los Angeles, USA.

Speaking about on the launch of American Idol Season 12, Mr. Anand Chakravarthy, Business Head - BIG CBS, said, "Staying true to our promise of providing the latest and hottest content to our viewers, we are really excited to present viewers with the unique opportunity to watch American Idol Season 12 concurrent with the US. Keeping in mind the current scenario post-DAS, the show will reach a larger audience base across consumer segments, while simultaneously offering marketers an excellent platform to reach out to their target audiences."

With such larger-than-life personalities on this year's panel, fans of the epic show can expect lots of fireworks to happen on the show as egos clash and tempers flare. With two singing divas, Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj sharing a common platform, it is inevitable that some heated words will be exchanged bringing out their feisty best.

American Idol Season 12 will air exclusively on BIG CBS LOVE starting 18th January, 2013, every Friday and Saturday at 9 pm.