AT&T: Employees helped 'Idol' fans text
Posted May 26, 2009 11:00 pm
LOS ANGELES -- "American Idol" sponsor AT&T says a few overeager company employees helped Arkansas fans vote by text at viewing parties — but didn't influence the final results.
Kris Allen of Conway, Ark., ended up winning the "Idol" title last week over Adam Lambert, who'd been cast as the front-runner by the show's judges.
AT&T said that in the future the company will ensure employees understand that its sponsorship "celebrates the competition, not individual contestants."
In a separate statement, Fox and the show's producers said they are certain the results are "fair, accurate and verified" and that the integrity of the voting process was protected against unfair influence.
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked.
If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.