 | American Idol is an annual American televised singing competition, which began its first season on June 11, 2002. Due to its consistently-dominant ratings, American Idol has become perhaps the single most-important program on US television. American Idol returned for its seventh season when it aired on January 15, 2008 for a two day, four hour premiere. The program seeks to discover the best young singer in the country, through a series of nationwide auditions. The outcomes of the later stages of this competition are determined by public voting by phone. |
| American Idol is broadcast to over 100 nations outside of the United States; however, these aren't live broadcasts and may be tape delayed by several days or weeks (excluding Canada, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates, where episodes are also aired live). In those instances, the shows are combined into one episode to summarize the results. Australia airs episodes just 5 hours after their US showing and the UK airs episodes 2 days after their US showing. It is also aired in Ireland 2 days after the showing. It also airs in Mexico in two markets in English -- Tijuana, Baja California and Matamoros, Tamaulipas -- because those markets have Fox affiliates that serve US markets. The Tijuana broadcast is a same-day broadcast, as it is located on the West Coast with its Fox affiliate XETV. The Matamoros broadcast is live, as it is in the Central time zone on XHRIO. Contestants have to be singers and are not permitted to have any current record deals or talent management agreements (though they may have had one at some point in the past). They must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents eligible to work full-time and they have to be 16 to 28 years of age on August 4 of the year of audition. In the finale, one remaining contestant is declared the winner. The two-night season finale will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on May 20 and 21, 2008. The winner receives a one million (US) dollar record deal with a major label, and is managed by American Idol-related 19 Management. In some cases, non-winners have also been signed by the show's management company (who has first option to sign contestants) and received record deals with its major label partner. Idol Gives Back is the name of a charitable campaign that spanned two episodes of American Idol during its sixth season. It raised more than $75 million in that season and will return this year on April 9, 2008. Ellen DeGeneres will once again join Ryan Seacrest as co-host of Idol Gives Back. She will host from the Kodak Theatre with Seacrest hosting from the American Idol stage in Los Angeles Wednesday, April 9 (7:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Artists scheduled to appear on Idol Gives Back 2008: Maroon 5, Heart, Gloria Estefan, Boyz II Men, The Clark Brothers, Bono, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Fergie, Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Annie Lennox, John Legend and Snoop Dogg. Additional artists will be announced soon. Money raised by the event will be distributed by Idol Gives Back to the following beneficiaries: the Children’s Defense Fund, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Make It Right. Malaria No More, Save The Children, and the Children’s Health Fund. Event: Idol Gives Back 2008 Date: April 9 (Wednesday) 7:30-10:00 PM ET/PT, 2008 TV Station: Fox Broadcasting Company |
| SOURCE: American Idol News |
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