New Times media editor Alexi Mostrous has certainly made an impact today, with a story about Simon Cowell taking The X Factor to America that bears a striking similarity to one his predecessor Dan Sabbagh wrote on 2 September. Monkey can no longer find the earlier story on the Times website, but did unearth it from our archive. Compare and contrast, peeps.
2 September: "Sir Philip Green wants Fox to broadcast an American version of Mr Cowell's X Factor. The plan is to bring over The X Factor as a condition for Mr Cowell signing on for two more seasons – in 2011 and 2012 – as a highly paid judge on American Idol, another talent programme that is also on Fox."
Today: "[Cowell] is considering standing down as [judge] of American Idol ... after its next season. The X Factor is due to begin filming in Los Angeles in September 2011, to be shown on Fox and presented by Cowell."
2 September: "The X Factor would air towards the end of the year in the US, to keep it away from Idol, which dominates Fox's schedules in the spring."
Today: "The X Factor is due to begin filming in Los Angeles in September 2011."
2 September: "Fox did not return calls seeking comment, but [sources] indicated that the broadcaster was optimistic that it would be signing a deal with Sir Philip on behalf of Mr Cowell shortly."
Today: "Cowell is poised to sign agreements with the Fox Broadcasting Company and ITV. Sony, Fox, Sir Philip and Cowell all declined to comment."
Sabbagh is understood to have received a late-night ticking off from the Times editor, James Harding, about the piece after complaints from Fox. Reports have speculated the story played a factor in Sabbagh being moved off media and offered the role of industrial editor, which he declined, deciding instead to leave the paper last month.
