... thoughts on Taylor Swift's REPUTATION CD...

I'd like to say THANK YOU to all who contributed here, some several times. I am glad that the topic 'sprouted several branches', because it broadened my base of listenable music to investigate, from like-minded individuals, who however trite it might seem to some for me to say, appreciate sound as well as the music it is conveyed through...

I wish you all Good Health, a memorable Thanksgiving, and The Best of the coming Holiday season - I Say Merry Christmas to All...

lowrider57, I have noticed that the sound quality on Dancing with the Stars is quite good, even live with live singers/bands. On AGT the sound is terrible and it sounds like a terrible mix...in other words, all you hear is a guitar and can't hear the singing or vice versa. So as you say, it can be done, but it probably takes effort and money.

@n80, these big budget network shows can afford the best talent and technology. The mix is dependent on the engineer and the producer's wishes and skill level.  And I'll bet you've already realised this, no engineer wants to do a bad mix or muck up music with lots of effects. Producers have the final word. 
  There's no need for Loudness Wars on these live shows. As I stated earlier, at the location site the music or sporting event audio sounds good in the control room. A company I used to work for does live broadcasts of the Superbowl. IMO, the half time performances sound pretty good. One crew does the production of the game, while a different audio engineer and director whose specialty is live music does the halftime show.

I know what you're saying about too much guitar or not hearing the vocals. You can blame the engineers for that, either bad mic'ing or a bad mix. The same happens at concerts. I've come away from some shows where a poor mix has ruined the experience for me.

Oh yeah, and these broadcasts sound especially bad if you have Comcast cable. Their digital technology and processing of the TV signal results in high compression of both picture and sound.