( EW.com ) -- The changes to Fox 's singing competition shows have only just begun . After weeks of dramatic headlines about `` Idol 's '' slipping ratings and `` Factor 's '' talent departures , Fox 's president of alternative entertainment Mike Darnell spoke to EW about the challenges faced by `` American Idol '' and `` The X Factor '' -- and his strategy for remaining on top . Given their large number of hours and consistent ability to win time periods , one could argue that `` Idol '' and `` Factor '' are the No . 1 network 's most important shows . So what does it mean when the bulk of the `` Factor '' cast abruptly gets pink-slipped and `` Idol '' has CBS ' `` Big Bang Theory '' nipping at its heels on Thursday nights ? With `` Factor '' , the sudden exodus of host Steve Jones , judge Nicole â€ªScherzingerâ€¬ and executive producer Simon Cowell 's longtime TV-spouse Paula Abdul may have stunned observers ( L.A. Reid will return ) . Yet the move was somewhat less surprising to followers of the UK version , which sheds judges every few seasons . In a genre where tough-love auditions are the heart of the format , Darnell described being a star on `` Factor 's '' debut as not entirely dissimilar to being a contestant . `` Season one was basically an audition act , '' said Darnell late last week . `` Simon got one big new star out of it -- L.A. Reid , and that was great casting . There 's going to be a natural reassessment . '' Viewers largely accepted the departure of Jones and â€ªScherzinger , yet the loss of Abdul raised concern . She may not have been the strongest contributor to the show , the reasoning went , but she did n't seem to be an overt problem either . `` Paula was an interesting call , '' Darnell said . `` She and Simon are great friends , so it was just a dynamic conversation about what 's the nature of the group going to be . And I think we decided to pull the Band-Aid off as quickly as possible . '' Fox hopes to fill the spots over the next several months . It 's reasonable to expect the network will pursue big music stars , with the caveat that prospective judges also should also have workable chemistry with Cowell . The bottom line is that Fox wants to take a show that was already typically winning its night and find every way possible to improve it -- including brainstorming creative changes apart from the on-air talent . `` There definitely will be lots of different changes in the show , '' Darnell said . That said , Darnell dismissed one TV critic complaint that the show seemed `` inauthentic . '' `` That 's the kind of stuff that pundits talk about that does n't mean anything to the audience , '' he said . `` It was a very consistent audience for that show . The audience that stuck with the show loved it . '' Over on `` Idol , '' Darnell faces the trickier challenge of keeping an 11-year-old hit feeling fresh and compelling without altering its popular fundamentals . Asked why `` Idol 's '' ratings have softened , Darnell agreed with TV analysts who point to the flood of singing competition shows . Idol used to be an annual event . Now there 's wide-eyed young singers , brutal judges and suspenseful eliminations on TV all year around . The other programs include Fox 's own `` Factor , '' of course ( when Cowell decided to launch a U.S. version of his UK hit , Fox had little choice but to get on board , lest risk losing him to a rival network ) . `` There 's no question there 's a glut of [ singing competition shows that are ] affecting the numbers for Idol , '' Darnell said . `` It 's the granddaddy , it 's run is unprecedented . I think that considering all the other shows and its age , it 's doing quite well . Having both shows on our air has put us in an incredibly strong position as a network . '' `` Idol '' is still a No . 1 for the season and averages about 20 million viewers a week . While `` Big Bang '' and ABC 's `` Modern Family '' are closing the gap , `` Idol '' generates more than 50 hours per season compared to roughly 11 for half-hour comedies ( no drama series come close to Idol 's numbers ) . Like with the recent `` Factor '' headlines , Fox has weathered plenty of second-guessing media coverage over the past several years of `` Idol '' panel changes . Some pundits predicted Cowell exiting the show two years ago would be a fatal blow , especially since the ratings were already declining . Yet when looking at the ratings , `` Idol '' changes over the years seemed to help offset audience erosion . `` Idol '' typically only dropped about 10-12 percent each season despite its age , often returned better than most industry observers expected . After last year 's well-received addition of judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez , making further alterations would have appeared foolish -- why fix a show that was n't broken ? But with the new season 's ratings down more than 20 percent , it raises the question : Is `` Idol '' at a point where it now requires major changes each season to keep fans ' interest ? Though making a judgement on next year 's `` Idol '' panel is months away , Darnell noted viewers can expect to see some twists this season . `` There 's always freshening up , '' he said . `` We 've done rule changes , we 've eliminated the middle rounds , we put in the judges ' 'save . ' And there will be some changes coming to the show this year that no one knows about yet , [ though ] they 're more modest than last year . What you try to do generally is if you have a year of big changes , you try to let those settle for at least another year . Change can help , or it can kill you if it 's the wrong change . You never want to change the core of the show , no matter what the competition is doing , because that 's what people come back for . '' One frequent point of viewer debate is the number of good auditions vs. humorously bad auditions . As with every aspect of his shows , Darnell has given the matter plenty of thought and experimented with different possibilities . `` We used to have more bad than good , '' he said . `` Over the last three years we 've gone the opposite direction . I think it 's a balancing act . One of the things that separate 'Idol ' from the other shows is that we have the fun and funny auditions , that 's why those [ opening weeks ] numbers are usually big . If you go too far in one direction or the other , that 's a mistake . And you have to be careful about which bad auditions are shown . The William Hungs of the world work , but people dressed as bananas do n't . They have to be sincere auditions . '' And if the unthinkable happens . If `` Idol , '' after eight seasons as TV 's top-rated entertainment program , should slip ... Darnell predicted the network -- and the show -- will survive just fine . `` It would be nice to reign forever as No . 1 , '' Darnell said . `` But if 'Idol ' ever becomes a second- or third-place show , it still has a much bigger impact and value than most other shows because it accounts for so many more hours . Obviously all shows come down , but to still be at this level is amazing , and we 're really grateful for that . '' See the full article at EW.com . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved .
`` American Idol '' and `` X Factor '' are the No . 1 network 's most important shows . Fox executive on `` Factor '' : `` There definitely will be lots of different changes in the show '' Fox executive on `` Idol '' : `` You never want to change the core of the show ''