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Okay I will admit that I am a huge American Idol fan. Of course, I do appreciate its flaws, including the fact that it does not necessarily result in America choosing the "best" singer, and that it is often a vehicle for shameless self-promotions. This latter is evidenced not only by the "videos" in which contestants promote products, but also by the various celebrities who just happen to be in the audience on a date close to their upcoming movie/TV show/latest CD release. Nevertheless, I enjoy the singing and I do think the show gives some people with real talent a potentially life-altering opportunity to showcase their talent. And of course whatever I may think of the show, it is a huge hit, which means big money. And last night the show made an effort to "give back" some of its success, and I am among those who think that the show's efforts were commendable.

American Idol got several corporate sponsors to agree to donate money to charities that fight hunger in the US and Africa. On American Idol, the voting for contestants occurs through telephone calls or text messaging. Usually the audience has two hours to vote via a toll free number, and callers can vote as many times as they like for their favorite contestant. Last night, voting was open for four hours and American Idol sponsors agreed to make donations in connection with the calls the show received. Idol often gets more than 30 million calls--so that agreement could potentially translate into a lot of money. The show has been vague on how much sponsors would donate. However, last night, I believe the host of American Idol indicated that sponsors would donate ten cents for every call received up to a maximum of 50 million calls.

To be sure, the "gives back" campaign could just be a plug for good will, and the donations being made may just be a "drop in the bucket" in the context of the amount of profit the show ultimately generates, but it is nevertheless a good deed that is worthy of recognition. American Idol has become a phenomenon that translates into big business and millions of dollars in profits. I appreciate the Idol using the show as a platform to raise awareness about, and money for, hunger. Moreover, I appreciate the fact that the show got the audience to participate. In fact, fans of the show could make individual donations to charities. Given the many young people who watch American Idol, last night's show sent a positive message that giving back is an important part of being a success in business or otherwise. Hence, regardless of what one may think of the motives, I applaud the show's efforts to use even a portion of its success to try and impact issues of social and economic significance.

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Okay I will admit that I am a huge American Idol fan. Of course, I do appreciate its flaws, including the fact that it does not necessarily result in America choosing the "best" singer, and that it is often a vehicle for shameless self-promotions. This latter is evidenced not only by the "videos" in which contestants promote products, but also by the various celebrities who just happen to be in the audience on a date close to their upcoming movie/TV show/latest CD release. Nevertheless, I enjoy the singing and I do think the show gives some people with real talent a potentially life-altering opportunity to showcase their talent. And of course whatever I may think of the show, it is a huge hit, which means big money. And last night the show made an effort to "give back" some of its success, and I am among those who think that the show's efforts were commendable.

American Idol got several corporate sponsors to agree to donate money to charities that fight hunger in the US and Africa. On American Idol, the voting for contestants occurs through telephone calls or text messaging. Usually the audience has two hours to vote via a toll free number, and callers can vote as many times as they like for their favorite contestant. Last night, voting was open for four hours and American Idol sponsors agreed to make donations in connection with the calls the show received. Idol often gets more than 30 million calls--so that agreement could potentially translate into a lot of money. The show has been vague on how much sponsors would donate. However, last night, I believe the host of American Idol indicated that sponsors would donate ten cents for every call received up to a maximum of 50 million calls.

To be sure, the "gives back" campaign could just be a plug for good will, and the donations being made may just be a "drop in the bucket" in the context of the amount of profit the show ultimately generates, but it is nevertheless a good deed that is worthy of recognition. American Idol has become a phenomenon that translates into big business and millions of dollars in profits. I appreciate the Idol using the show as a platform to raise awareness about, and money for, hunger. Moreover, I appreciate the fact that the show got the audience to participate. In fact, fans of the show could make individual donations to charities. Given the many young people who watch American Idol, last night's show sent a positive message that giving back is an important part of being a success in business or otherwise. Hence, regardless of what one may think of the motives, I applaud the show's efforts to use even a portion of its success to try and impact issues of social and economic significance.

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