AMERICAN IDOL
Beginning as the television phenomenon Pop Idol over in the UK, American Idol
came to these shores last summer and became an overnight success, much like the
eventual winner, Kelly Clarkson. With two shows each week, American Idol's
audience grew every time out, culminating when over 30 million viewers tuned in
for the finale.
Returning for a second season, American Idol promises everything fans already
love, and things they were never expecting. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and
Paula Abdul all return as the judges you know and admire, and Ryan Seacrest is
back as the host. And when the show ends in May, we'll have our second AMERICAN
IDOL
How do I vote?
Each contestant will be assigned his or her own toll-free number during the
Tuesday show. To vote, simply watch American Idol each Tuesday on FOX and dial
the phone number of the contestant for whom you wish to vote. Voting lines will
open at the end of each show. The lines will NOT be open before that. Rules and
procedures are subject to change at producer’s discretion.
Who can vote?
Anyone calling from within Continental US, Hawaii and Alaska can cast their vote
for the next American Idol.
When can I vote?
Voting lines for American Idol open at the end of the Tuesday show each week and
stay open for at least two hours, subject to time zone restrictions. Outside of
these times you will hear a ‘fast busy’ signal and your call will not count
as a vote.
How much does it cost to vote?
Telephone calls to the American Idol voting lines are toll-free. If you use a
wireless phone to call the American Idol voting line, airtime and applicable
roaming and long distance charges will apply. Additionally, if you vote using
AT&T Text messaging, fees will apply - see Can I Vote by Using my Cell Phone
for more details.
Can I vote by using my cell phone?
Yes, you can vote using your cell phone, although airtime and applicable roaming
charges will apply to toll-free numbers from wireless phones. Contact your cell
phone network operator if you want to know how much you will be charged.
Additionally, if you vote using AT&T Text messaging, fees will apply - see How
do I vote using Text Messaging for more details.
If you are calling from a cell phone and you are in a different time zone from
your cell phone number, the network will accept or reject your vote based on the
time zone of your cell phone area code. For example, if you have a New York cell
phone area code but are calling from Los Angeles you will be voting outside the
Eastern voting window and your vote will not be accepted. Try calling again from
a land line telephone during the Los Angeles voting window.
I couldn’t get through to the lines or all I get is a fast busy signal
when I call – why?
Although the telephone network is designed to handle huge volumes of calls
simultaneously there may be times (particularly just after the show) when it
will not be able to handle every single call due to the sheer volume. If you are
calling during your voting window but can’t get through to cast your vote, be
patient and try again.
If you hear the fast busy signal it may be that you are calling outside of the
voting window. When your voting window closes each week, lines will switch from
a ‘thank you for voting’ message to a fast busy signal.
If you are sure you are calling within your voting window but still can’t get
through, it may be that your local phone company has been flooded with calls.
Try waiting a few minutes before calling again. If you still have problems,
contact your local phone company.
If you are calling from a cell phone with an area code that is in a different
time zone from that in which you are calling, the network will accept or reject
your vote based on the time zone of your cell phone’s area code. So, for
example, if you have a New York cell phone area code but are calling from Los
Angeles you will be voting outside the Eastern voting window and your vote will
not be accepted. Try calling again from a landline phone.
When I called I heard the wrong contestants name/contestant number –
why?
All lines for American Idol are tested before going on-air to make sure the
lines work and are playing out the correct audio. If you called and heard the
wrong contestant’s details it’s possible you accidentally mis-dialled so
check the number and dial again.
What will I hear if I call the toll-free numbers?
Voting begins at the end of the show when ALL of the contestants have performed
- if you call before then, you will hear a fast busy signal and your vote will
NOT count.
At the end of the show each week voting can begin and lines will be opened.
Voting lasts for at least 2 hours, subject to local time zone restrictions, from
the end of the show and during that time you will hear a pre-recorded message
thanking you for voting for your chosen contestant. Each contestant will have
their own number read/shown on air and the phone message will confirm for whom
you have voted.
After the voting window, no more votes will be accepted and lines will play out
a ‘fast busy’ signal.
When I called, I was told to call a "900" number - isn't
American Idol voting toll-free?
If you call to vote for your favorite American Idol contestant and hear a
message to call a "900" number, you have misdialed. Do not call this
"900" number to vote for American Idol, as "900" numbers are
not connected to American Idol voting. Please try the American Idol toll-free
numbers again, dialing carefully.
How do I find out the results?
The voting shows will air on FOX each Tuesday but the results will be broadcast
on FOX each Wednesday – so make sure you don’t miss the results show if you
want to see how your vote affected the results!
How can I get tickets to show tapings?
Regular season shows become available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Click
here for details on how to request tickets.
How can I get tickets to the last two episodes?
Tickets to the May 6 & 7 episodes will go on sale in April. Stay tuned for
details.
Does it cost anything to get the American Idol Newsletter?
No. The newsletter is free to receive and you may cancel at any time.
I ordered American Idol merchandise (for example, hats, CDs, etc.), but
nothing arrived. What should I do?
All retail sales are handled by outside companies. Check the Web sites where you
placed your order for shipping, ordering and contact information.
My friend has sung professionally in the past, can she still participate
as a contestant on American Idol?
As long as your friend isn’t currently a party to a contract for her
performing services (for example, music recording, songwriting, acting,
modeling, etc.) or her name and likeness (for example, a merchandising or
sponsorship contract) and is not currently under contract with a talent agent or
manager, she is free to participate; provided, of course, that she meets all
other eligibility criteria.
What's being done about power dialing?
Production will have in place weekly monitoring procedures designed to prevent
individuals from unfairly influencing the outcome of the voting by generating
significant blocks of votes using technical enhancements. The producers reserve
the right to remove any votes identified by producers as 'power dialing' votes.
Why can't I vote via the toll-free numbers using a payphone?
Votes from payphones will be blocked. To vote for your favorite contestant, use
a standard landline telephone or cell phone. Charges may apply when using your
cell phone.
Voting by Text Messaging on your wireless phone - What is Text
Messaging/ SMS?
Text Messaging – sometimes known as SMS (short messaging service) - is a way
of communicating short messages via your wireless phone. Most (but not all)
handsets have this feature. For American Idol, only AT&T Wireless customers
can vote by text message using their wireless phone keypad to write the message
“vote” and sending it to a contestant number. This contestant number such as
IDOLS01 (4365701) relates directly to your contestant of choice and will be
displayed on the show.
How do I vote using Text Messaging?
As with the toll-free voting, each contestant will also be assigned his or her
own text message number during the show – this will appear on screen with the
toll-free numbers. To vote by text if you are an AT&T Wireless subscriber,
simply watch American Idol each Tuesday on FOX, input the word VOTE into your
cell phone and send the message to the text number assigned to your contestant
of choice. For more information on how to send a text message, click
here.
You will receive a message confirming your vote, although you will not receive
the confirmation message until the following day. You will receive only one
confirmation message, regardless of how many valid votes you cast.
Text voting will open at the end of each show and stay open for at least two
hours, subject to local time zone limitations. Voting will NOT be open during
the show or outside the foregoing two hour time period determined by the area
code on your wireless phone. Votes sent outside of the specified time period
will be invalid. If you are sending your text vote from a wireless phone with an
area code that is in a different time zone from that in which you are calling,
the network will accept or reject your vote based on the time zone of your area
code. So, if you have a New York cell phone area code but are voting from Los
Angeles during the west coast voting window, your vote will not be accepted. Try
calling the toll-free number instead.
Is the text messaging vote system the same as the toll-free system?
The design of the text voting is exactly the same as the toll-free voting system
in terms of open/close times. The contestant numbers will also be very similar.
If you wish to vote for contestant 2, for example, you can either call 1 866
IDOLS 02 (1 866 43657 02) OR send the text message VOTE to IDOLS02 (4365702).
Who can vote using Text Messaging?
Text voting is only available to AT&T Wireless subscribers with two-way text
messaging capable handsets. If you are an AT&T Wireless customer and wish to
check if your handset has two-way text messaging capability, visit
attwireless.com/text and go to the phone-u-lator. AT&T Wireless subscribers
with area codes from within Continental US, Hawaii and Alaska can cast their
text vote for the next American Idol. If you are not an AT&T Wireless
subscriber, you can vote using the standard toll-free numbers instead.
When can I vote using text messaging?
Voting for American Idol opens after the show each week and will stay open for
at least 2 hours, subject to local time zone limitations. Votes cast outside of
this time period will be invalid.
How do I know my vote has been counted?
Your message will have been counted if you vote during the valid voting window,
unless your handset says ‘message not sent’. However, to make sure the
maximum number of inbound votes can be received, the system will not send out
your confirmation message until the following day.
I sent 10 votes, but only received one confirmation, why?
Only one confirmation message is sent out, regardless of how many votes are
cast.
How much does it cost to vote via text message?
The cost of voting for AT&T Wireless subscribers varies depending on your
AT&T Wireless Text Messaging plan. If you do not have an AT&T Wireless
Text Messaging plan, AT&T Wireless standard Text Messaging rates apply. You
will be charged for each message sent from your wireless device, regardless of
delivery and including invalid votes cast outside of the specified time period.
See attwireless.com/text for details. You will not be charged to receive the
‘thanks for voting’, or any other received messages.
When I tried to vote, my handset said 'message not sent' - why?
Like the toll-free voting, while the text messaging network is designed to
handle huge volumes of votes simultaneously, there may be times (particularly
just after the show) when it will not be able to handle every message due to
network congestion. When this happens, ‘message not sent’ will appear on
your handset. Please be patient and try again later. And, don’t forget to vote
within your time zone’s voting window!
How do I find out the results?
The voting shows will air on FOX each Tuesday but the results will be broadcast
on FOX each Wednesday - so make sure you don't miss the results show if you want
to see how your vote affected the results!
Why can't I vote on the Internet?
Only telephone and text message voting is available for American Idol.
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