Oh for goodness sake! This post has gone so far slanted it's ridiculous. The TV company wanted to appeal to a younger demographic. According to the news report when the orchestra tried to play top 40 songs they just didn't sound right . Literally all that was required is to add one Synth workstation to produce a more modern sound to supplement the orchestra not replace it.

The requirement for fully orchestrated pieces with live music may still exist. But we will only know by the reactions of the people that watch the show. And if they are satisfied with what they see and hear, then why should any business employ extra staff at extra cost for no extra benefit ?

How many of you guys would take an18 piece band to a gig that requires only five pieces and split your fee amongst the other 13 just to keep them in a job?

This isn't a case of nasty corporations trying to screw people out of jobs it's simply a case of economics, the same economics that you and I use every single day in our business decisions.