'This is a business. We need to make sure we make the right decision so the show can be financially viable,' ABC Entertainment chief Channing Dungey said at the TCA summer press tour.
- August 7, 2017
AceShowbiz -
Katy Perry previously made headlines after nabbing an alleged $25 million contract for being a judge on the upcoming reboot of "American Idol" on ABC. ABC Entertainment chief Channing Dungey finally broke the silence on the "Bon Appetit" hitmaker's rich salary at the Television Critics Association summer press tour on Sunday, August 6.
"We hit the jackpot with Katy," Dungey said. "She is a songwriter, and to have someone like her on the panel is fantastic. This is a business. We need to make sure we make the right decision so the show can be financially viable, so it will have a place on ABC for years to come."
Recently, FremantleMedia Group CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that the reboot was "not more expensive than its competitors." She added, "ABC wouldn't order something that didn't work for them financially."
It was previously reported that returning host Ryan Seacrest was livid over Katy's paycheck. A source claimed that the "Live with Kelly and Ryan" co-host was "suddenly asking himself why he would come back for a 16th season at a salary [much smaller than that] of the newcomer judge."
"American Idol" reboot will premiere sometime in early 2018 on ABC.
