Good thread topic and post by Shizzo! 
Like 'em or not, Ben and Joe Weider were 100% bodybuilding.
A few years ago, Weider sold his publishing business and rights to the Olympia contest for 300 million to AMI- CEO David Pecker.
Mr Pecker * (* I couldn't make this name up) made his millions in the gossip magazine industry most famously with " The National Enquirer" . Thus, David Pecker's roots are NOT in bodybuilding .
With the final passing of Ben and Joe due to old age, a new era pro bodybuilding has begun.
Gone are the days of serious , classic physiques and posing like Arnold and the pumping iron gang.
Gone are the Lee Haney's and new age freaks like Dorian Yates.
Sure, we have a few muscle freaks left like Phil, Kai and big Rammy, but it just seems different now.
The IFBB and NPC are now dominated by the female bikini division in the biggest contests.
The NPC national pro qualifiers have aprox 500 bikini, 100 figure, 100-200 MPD, 50 WPD and 100-150 male bodybuilders entered in the show. Thus, at least 80% of the official entrants are NOT bodybuilders.
Make no mistake that the negative image of steroids and extreme muscle mass plays into this .
NBC-sn had made an initial agreement to broadcast the 50th Olympia last years and even showed up with a full production crew to cover the event. For reasons unclear to me, NBC-sn never aired the contest and those who work in the industry said little/nothing about it? Hmmmmmm?
Now we learn that Flex on line will have a webcast of this years Olympia.
Considering that AMI is the publishing company of Flex , Muscle & Fitness and owns the rights for the Olympia, this is no surprise to me. I'm grateful it was picked up by the promoting company as I'll get to watch it on the webcast.
Ok , so here's my 2 cents on the OP thread topic. Hardcore men's bodybuilding is the "mall anchor store" for the IFBB and NPC contest promotion industry. This is why the prize $$ for Mr O is a LOT more then what Ms bikini gets.
David Pecker and the AMI insiders know this despite all the negative image with hardcore bodybuilders.
I suspect AMI would love to do a reality TV format with a fitness body twist. MPD and bikini are custom made for this , but that doesn't line up with majority of the IFBB's most ardent fans.
I suspect AMI will begin to launch some sex gossip, eye candy , romance scandals revolving around the top bikini contestants and tie in the more popular MPD guys for various products promotions?
They can leave the pro men's BB as is and hope to fabricate more drama between the top pros like Phil and Kai.
Sadly, the last thing I expect to see is a move promoting serious, hardcore bodybuilding as a legit sport.
I hope and pray I'm wrong... 
Howard, the Weider's ran the sport of bodybuilding, the bodybuilding mags, the contests, the judges, and the supplement industry like a communist country. If you didn't do what they said or competed in another Org, they would go to the end of the earth to ruin your career.
But the Weiders didn't have to contend with the Internet.
Now every bodybuilder has access to social media and exposure to the public.
And the public has realized they're drug addicted, lying, narcissistic idiots with nothing to add to society. And with that.....the interest in the sport is dying.
