Can the media create and uphold a false large audience for a talentless fake star?

I want to know if this is just a conspiracy theory or not; i often heard the term "industry plant" however this is a contradiction with the market law of offer & demand. So i am asking if it is possible for a powerful producing lobby to keep a singer or an actor relevant, when almost nobody enjoy and subscribe to their art? For example think about an overrated celebrity; is it actually that their hate-base is just louder than their fan-base?