Add another strike against the theory that the popularity of reality television is waning. The September 5th issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine is reporting that the surprisingly strong ratings for this summer's "Big Brother 4" have caused CBS to pick up the show for another three years, taking the program's CBS run through 2006.
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Not a bad turnaround for a program that was thought to have "jumped the shark" and widely speculated to be in its last season as the summer began.
''This has become a nice summer staple,'' CBS CEO Les Moonves told EW. ''It's amazing how people get so involved.'' Executive producer Allison Grodner offered her own explanation for the ratings jump: ''It is the most naked cast we've ever had!''
