"America's Most Wanted" has been cancelled by the Fox television network after 24 seasons. The show, hosted by John Walsh, has sought help from the public in catching people on the run for 23 years.
The series consistently wins its time period and averaged 5 million viewers this season, but it is no longer profitable. It is the longest running show on the network.
"It's been an important show for us historically," Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly told UPI and other reporters on Monday. "We haven't made money on the show in quite a while. It wasn't particularly viable."
To date, 1,151 fugitive criminals have been caught thanks to the show.
In 1996, Fox temporarily replaced "AMW" with reruns of "Married...With Children" until protests from the public and law enforcement brought the series back.
Walsh became a victim-rights advocate after the abduction and murder of his son, Adam, in 1981. He created the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and was then chosen to host "AMW."
The network does plan to air four 2-hour "America's Most Wanted" specials next season. The Saturday night series will be replaced by repeats of other shows.
The main issue with the show isn't popularity, but rather production costs. Host and producer Walsh is currently seeking to continue the brand with another division of FOX Broadcasting's parent company News Corps.
