'Big Brother' to end with 2-hour finale

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- CBS says it has expanded the 11th season finale for the U.S. edition of the reality television program "Big Brother" to two hours.

The winner of the competition series -- in which contestants live together in a house, are monitored 24 hours a day by cameras and compete at various tasks for a cash prize -- will be announced during the live broadcast planned for Sept. 15.

CBS said the show is averaging 6.9 million viewers, and has increased viewership among adults 18-34 in the past year. This season of "Big Brother" has also proved wildly popular online, the network said.