Post by Inside Australian Idol on Aug 6, 2003 23:33:48 GMT 10
Idol chatter
By Sydney Confidential's Fiona Connolly
August 06, 2003
AUSTRALIAN Idol semi-finals will open this weekend amid controversy over the special treatment some contestants have been given in the media.
Channel 10 has repeatedly restricted media access to contestants on the grounds that individual publicity would create an unfair advantage for some.
While some of the remaining 40 contestants have received extra air time, magazine and newspaper reports, others claim they are being ignored.
"It's become very, very obvious exactly who they want to win this thing – you only have to look at the papers and watch the thing," a parent of one of the final 40 contestants told The Daily Telegraph.
"The same kids keep popping up. The same kids keep being interviewed and the same ones keep appearing in the papers."
He claimed one particular contestant, who had struck up a friendship with publicists for the show, had been earmarked for the No.1 position from the start and bragged about it to the others.
"Some are getting the royal treatment. We've had a whole group of the kids here today all really upset," the father said.
The contestants have been gagged from talking to the media through the network, Grundys and record company BMG, who have tight control over the finalists through their contracts.
"We need to limit access to contestants so that publicity is spread evenly among all of the contestants," Ten's head of entertainment Stephan Tate said in a statement. "The contestants need to be judged on their singing alone."
Before the first episode of Idol had aired, a newspaper had already singled out contestants such as Daniel Wakefield for special attention. Another was Eli Diache, who has also made the final 40.
The Daily Telegraph
entertainment.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4459,6873265%255E10229%255E%255Enbv,00.html
By Sydney Confidential's Fiona Connolly
August 06, 2003
AUSTRALIAN Idol semi-finals will open this weekend amid controversy over the special treatment some contestants have been given in the media.
Channel 10 has repeatedly restricted media access to contestants on the grounds that individual publicity would create an unfair advantage for some.
While some of the remaining 40 contestants have received extra air time, magazine and newspaper reports, others claim they are being ignored.
"It's become very, very obvious exactly who they want to win this thing – you only have to look at the papers and watch the thing," a parent of one of the final 40 contestants told The Daily Telegraph.
"The same kids keep popping up. The same kids keep being interviewed and the same ones keep appearing in the papers."
He claimed one particular contestant, who had struck up a friendship with publicists for the show, had been earmarked for the No.1 position from the start and bragged about it to the others.
"Some are getting the royal treatment. We've had a whole group of the kids here today all really upset," the father said.
The contestants have been gagged from talking to the media through the network, Grundys and record company BMG, who have tight control over the finalists through their contracts.
"We need to limit access to contestants so that publicity is spread evenly among all of the contestants," Ten's head of entertainment Stephan Tate said in a statement. "The contestants need to be judged on their singing alone."
Before the first episode of Idol had aired, a newspaper had already singled out contestants such as Daniel Wakefield for special attention. Another was Eli Diache, who has also made the final 40.
The Daily Telegraph
entertainment.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4459,6873265%255E10229%255E%255Enbv,00.html