Next season, you might have to wait awhile for NBC’s ‘The Voice’

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Are you enjoying ‘The Voice,’ NBC’s new singing contest? Next season, you may have to wait for it.

Since the show put up strong ratings the past two weeks, many TV insiders had predicted that long-battered NBC would hustle it onto the fall schedule as a ratings-boosting gambit. The first season is slated to end June 28th.

But now it looks as if NBC might be leaning toward making ‘The Voice’ an annual midseason rite, à la Fox’s ‘American Idol,’ rather than a nearly-always-on option, such as ABC’s ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ according to a talent representative close to the show.

An NBC spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment. But waiting till January has several attractive benefits. It avoids a potential run-in with Fox’s ‘The X Factor,’ which is already a lock for the fall schedule (albeit most likely not in slots directly competitive with ‘Voice’) and offers a similar concept of celebrity judges coaching wannabe singers. Also, NBC could give ‘The Voice’ a big premiere right after its telecast of the Super Bowl, which would nearly guarantee series-record numbers and give the new season its best-possible launch.

The risk? If the NFL and football players can’t resolve their labor problems and the season is delayed, NBC might have to send its new fall series into battle with very little promotional support and no clear hit to rally around.

Trackers, how would you feel about waiting seven months for ‘The Voice’?

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-- Scott Collins (twitter.com/scottcollinsLAT)