¤I Love Clay Aiken¤
05-24-2003, 01:29 AM
This is the exact article I got from my newspaper Boston Herald. ::
Fox: Criticism of vote tally is just "idol" talk-
American Idol reps yesterday blasted a cyber-report that Ruben Studdards Wednesday night triumph was sullied by "dramatic Florida election style" chicanery!
The controversy arose after Idol emcee Ryan Seacrest announced the voting margin between Studdard and Clay Aiken as a mere 1,335 out of 24 million phone-in votes cast by viewers.
Then later in the broadcast, he declared Ruben had won with 50.28% of the votes-- a difference of about 134,000 votes.
Yesterday, cybergossip Matt Drudge claimed "serious questions are being raised about the integrity of the final Idol vote, and the entire franchise may be at risk."
He quoted a "rival network president" as saying, "Listen, Ive been around Hollywood for a long, long time, and this recks of a contrived, phony ending. No one here believes for one second the votes landed just 1,300 apart. Its a disgrace... I think we are looking at a modern dat version of "The $64,000 Question"", referring to the game show scandal of the 50's.
The exec, who demanded anonymity, also urged an outside audit be performed in order for the show "to return next season with any integrity."
Fox TV rep Scott Grogin blamed the inconstistency on a simple slip up by Seacrest and reaffirmed the 134,000 vote margin.
"It was a function of live television," Grogin told the Track. "Ryans misspeaking on live television."
Asked about the network exec quoted on the Drudge Report, Grogin said, "Either that persons not a network president or is the most ill-informed person ever to hold such a position."
Fox: Criticism of vote tally is just "idol" talk-
American Idol reps yesterday blasted a cyber-report that Ruben Studdards Wednesday night triumph was sullied by "dramatic Florida election style" chicanery!
The controversy arose after Idol emcee Ryan Seacrest announced the voting margin between Studdard and Clay Aiken as a mere 1,335 out of 24 million phone-in votes cast by viewers.
Then later in the broadcast, he declared Ruben had won with 50.28% of the votes-- a difference of about 134,000 votes.
Yesterday, cybergossip Matt Drudge claimed "serious questions are being raised about the integrity of the final Idol vote, and the entire franchise may be at risk."
He quoted a "rival network president" as saying, "Listen, Ive been around Hollywood for a long, long time, and this recks of a contrived, phony ending. No one here believes for one second the votes landed just 1,300 apart. Its a disgrace... I think we are looking at a modern dat version of "The $64,000 Question"", referring to the game show scandal of the 50's.
The exec, who demanded anonymity, also urged an outside audit be performed in order for the show "to return next season with any integrity."
Fox TV rep Scott Grogin blamed the inconstistency on a simple slip up by Seacrest and reaffirmed the 134,000 vote margin.
"It was a function of live television," Grogin told the Track. "Ryans misspeaking on live television."
Asked about the network exec quoted on the Drudge Report, Grogin said, "Either that persons not a network president or is the most ill-informed person ever to hold such a position."