Did 'American Idol' Runner-Up Jessica Sanchez Get a Raw Deal?

Something's fishy over at "American Idol." In previous years, runners-up like Lauren Alaina or Adam Lambert would be paid as much as $175,000 for a guaranteed full album after coming in second place on the vocal competition show. But this year's  runner-up, Jessica Sanchez, might end up with only $30,000 for her efforts.

Why the small payday? It might have everything to do with the ratings: "American Idol" saw its lowest-rated finale ever this year, with viewership hanging around 20 million. For any other show, those are great numbers. But for "Idol," which is accustomed to ratings near 30 million and has become a larger, more expensive production as a result, that dip means tightening the belt.

And the runners-up are an easy target: not many of them go on to have successful careers, and in fact even the winners are mostly on the miss side of hit or miss. Of the previous 10 seasons of "American Idol," only two have gone on to be true superstars: Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson.

All things considered, getting a $30,000 payday for recording four songs isn't a bad deal. But when you compare it to the $15 million or so that Jennifer Lopez is making to sit in a chair for a few hours and say nice things, it's chump change. And the contestants are the ones who have to go through the grueling shooting hours and, in the case of winner Phillip Phillips, sacrifice their own kidney health.

Seems unfair, doesn't it? All that product placement from Coca-Cola and Ford, and still a talent like Sanchez doesn't get a record deal out of her hard-fought second place finish.

Do you think Jessica deserves a record deal?