> > > When I saw how they charge potential contestants in order to recruit contestants, I just figured the answer to the question "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" was obviously "The Producers of This Show."
> >
> > The impression I'm getting from reading this thread is that people were expecting the producers of "Regis Philbin is a Jillionaire" (or whatever) to be losing money on the deal. That strikes me as terribly odd.
>
> Well, obviously game shows are supposed to make money. Most don't charge you for a shot on the show though; they generate revenue via advertising paid to the network. Considering that three of the Top 10 rated shows for last week were episodes of Who Wants to be Millionare (and that it's a huge victory for ABC) one would think they don't need to charge the people trying to get on...

No, they don't need to. But, as can be seen by the tremendous shortage of a lack of people clamoring to get on the show, they *can.* And I'm quite sure that's why they do.