I am a fan of the show and have been thinking about the problems American Idol faces going forward. Here are my recommendations.

I stumbled on a great letter David Mamet wrote to the writers of The Unit. It’s really useful advice for any writer of any script in any genre.

The future is arriving faster that anyone expected. It is playing out in the biggest pay-TV provider, Comcast’s takeover of NBC and Rupert Murdock’s battle with Time Warner cable.

Common among many who have cut the cord is a sense of rebellion, not against TV but against service providers. They believe their way of watching represents the future of TV — online and on demand.

The Writer Access Project is designed to identify excellent diverse writers with television experience and to bring these writers’ scripts to the attention of showrunners, creative executives and agents for consideration during staffing season. Info here.

Bill Mechanic’s speech about the Business of the Business producing films.