If the sponsorship rates it is charging are any indication, CTV must have very high hopes indeed for Canadian Idol 2, which is seeking ‘through the roof’ prices for the second run of its summer-long talent show, according to media buyers.

The cost of Idol’s ‘big winner’ package, for example, has reportedly jumped some 50% since season one, to $3.5 million from $2.3 million.

‘That’s rather huge,’ says Sherry O’Neil, managing director of OMD Canada in Toronto. ‘You could sponsor the Olympics for that kind of money. In terms of audience it might be worth it, but there are very few clients who can dole out that kind of money on a single property.’ The net does not comment on ad rates.

The net recently revealed plans to bring back the popular show this summer, no doubt looking to repeat the ratings magic of the 2003 version. Canadian Idol set a new high for ratings among homemade shows, bringing more than three million viewers to its Sept. 16 finale. The 15-week, 26-ep series averaged 2.06 million viewers, besting Road to Avonlea’s 1.97 million in 1989/90.

But just a few months ago, network execs were uncertain if they’d okay a second Idol – noting to the Ottawa Citizen that the first was struggling just to break even. Presumably the price hike will put it further into the black.

But because reality ratings usually drop after the first season, the new prices are not justified, according to O’Neil.

CTV programming head Susanne Boyce remains bullish. ‘Canadian Idol is one of those magical experiences that transcends a mere television show… [it] is a property that allows us as Canadians to cheer for ourselves,’ she says.

The net will again team with Toronto’s Insight Productions on the show, working with formatting rights bought from FremantleMedia and 19TV. Rink Rat Productions in St. John’s, NF and Edmonton’s Aquila Productions are also attached.

-www.ctv.ca