‘Idol’ generates record voter totals
Participation television phenomenon “American Idol” closed out its sixth season last week with record voter totals. According to communications management solutions firm Telescope, which processes voice and text votes for the program, “Idol” generated 609 million total votes during its five-month run, topping season five totals by 31 million overall votes. The May 23 finale alone yielded 74 million votes, another series record. Last year, viewers sent 64.5 million SMS votes via mobile operator partner Cingular/AT&T, which this season launched a suite of new “Idol”-themed downloads including video and related content. According to Variety, AT&T and fellow sponsors including the Ford Motor Co. and Coca-Cola spend between $30 million and $50 million in combined “Idol” sponsorship fees.
