The lawsuit filed by the Higgins children against the Leomitis and ABC continues its path through the courts. Now the Higgins children’s attorney has complained that Disney re-aired the original episode even while knowing the story did not have a fairytale ending. The LA Times has some insight on exactly where the case stands now, but there are also some interesting facts about the sort of money ABC and the shows producers make each year:
In the last two years, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" has reaped more
than $500 million in advertising revenue, according to research firm
Nielsen Monitor-Plus. Consistently a Top 25 prime-time performer, it
drew 16.4 million viewers for the Leomiti-Higgins episode.
That’s a significant chunk of change. I would not expect Disney to continue with the show if it wasn’t making them money, but I can’t help but wonder what other sorts of community good could be had from the show if a bit more of the profits were spread around. (Link)