Seven Ways American Idol Has Impacted The World

Baltimore Sun TV critic David Zurawik offers seven ways in which "American Idol" has impacted TV and the larger world, including making TV "more commercial than ever," uniting black and white viewers and influencing how networks schedule their top shows.

No. 1: Shifted when networks broadcast our favorite shows
No. 2: Brought black and white audiences together
No. 3: Helped introduce young people to voting
No. 4: Made TV more commercial than ever
No. 5: Resurrected the variety show
No 6: Crowned the 10 o'clock news a winner
No. 7: Influenced how we "judge" politics