NBC's 'The Voice' To Bring Spinning Chairs Into Battle Rounds

The ratings for NBC‘s The Voice have been front-loaded, starting big for the blind auditions featuring the spinning chairs and then falling off in the battle rounds. NBC brass are looking to stem the declines by extending the presence of the show’s signature feature. “People love the spinning chairs, and we will put them into the battle rounds this coming season,” NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt said during a conference call today. He wouldn’t elaborate on specifics but noted that the tweaks will make The Voice “even better and more competitive.”

Among the major singing competitions, The Voice will be the first to try two cycles a season this coming season in the mold of ABC’s dancing stalwart Dancing With The Stars. (Fox’s American Idol and The X Factor as well as NBC’s America’s Got Talent air once a year.) The double duty will put the young show and its stars to the test. Mentors, Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine are committed to do the fall edition, while their participation in the spring one will be based on their availability as all four are active musicians.