not surprising really, but still troubling

I don't think this allegation will come as a surprise to anyone who has tried to cast votes for a contestant in the final weeks of American Idol.  If you consider the size of the time zones, the number of states, the number of cities, with thousands, possibly millions of people all trying to cast votes at the same time, phone lines are destined to become bogged down.  This is why it is so much easier to get through when the field is 12 than it was last Tuesday. 

I tried to vote last Tuesday -- not gonna say for whom -- and I really did give it a good effort.  For about an hour.  Not constant redialing, but pretty consistent.  I never got through.  The week before -- I voted for George -- I got through maybe twice in an hour of trying.  Last week's effort was the first time I was unsuccessful since trying to vote for Clay in last year's finale.  And I really tried then, to no avail.

FOX and the producers of American Idol are really going to have to take this report seriously.  This story has already been reported on the Today show.  And the FOX representatives refused to address it.  They're going to have to address it.  They're going to have to take some postive steps to ensure that viewer confidence is intact before the beginning of next season.  Last year's allegations of rigging really centered around one group -- the Clay people.  This year's allegations of tampering are much more widespread.  And much more serious.  And so, even if there's really nothing to this report, and everything is really and truly on the up and up there at Idol, the appearance of impropriety is there.  There is a stain on the show, and, for some people, the stain is all they can see.  Time for some stain remover.

I am not buying the show's contention that to limit calls per line is too expensive a proposition.  This show is a mint.  But if that's the case, make it online voting.  Sure, that would disenfranchise those who have yet to get wired, but that's the case anytime something is limited to online participation.  And that should be easy to accomplish and less expensive than phones.  Hell, if StarSearch can do it, surely American Idol can.

If American Idol expects the winner of its competition to be accepted as legitimate, everything possible must be done to ensure that the Idol is chosen legitimately.