Is 'Idol' on its way out?

Newsday's Verne Gay looks at the 'American Idol' numbers (yes, they're down) and then hypothesizes the reasons.

A few of his thoughts:

1. Daylight saving time. "Idol" producers toss this reason out blithely and glibly as Culprit No. 1 for the decline. But not so fast, lads. Without question, DST (which began a full month earlier this year, on March 11) did have a negative impact on the show because it's still somewhat light out across the country at 8 p.m. But consider that "Idol's" Tuesday slide began nearly a month earlier, just after Valentine's Day.

2. Spring break. Duh! Millions of kids were on spring break last week, and they were thinking a lot more about beer and bikinis instead of Sanjaya's next hair statement. But weren't millions on spring break last year at that time, too?

3. DVRs. Per Fox's own numbers, TiVo-ing of "Idol" is up sharply this season versus last and, when those figures are factored in, overall viewership is flat. Nevertheless, this is a troublesome sign, too, because it means viewers aren't eager to watch their favorite show live, but can wait to catch up.

To read the full article (and thoughts 4-6 on why the numbers are down), click here. Do you have any thoughts of your own?