Celebrity Mound

American Idol, the groundbreaking, Emmy Award-winning and top-rated FOX primetime series created by Simon Fuller and from producers FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment (a division of CKX), will be inducted into Broadcasting & Cable’s Hall of Fame. The 21^st annual awards dinner, honoring the broadcast industry’s best, is set for Wednesday, October 26, at the famed Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

“American Idol has been a broadcasting phenomenon from the moment it debuted, and it just keeps getting stronger,” said Bill McGorry, Chairman of the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame. “This honor is richly deserved for a show that has had such an unprecedented impact on the entire industry.”

“It’s always special when American Idol gets honored, and even more so when it is by a distinguished organization such as theBroadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame,” said Simon Fuller, creator of American Idol. “This show has entertained hundreds of millions of TV viewers and music fans around the world over the last 10 seasons, and I’d like to dedicate this award to everyone who has helped us stay true to our pure ideal of discovering and showcasing the very best new singing talent in America.”

“This is an exceptional honor for all of us,” said Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of FremantleMedia North America and executive producer of American Idol. “It is quite extraordinary and rare for a television show to receive such recognition for its achievements alongside some of the most accomplished individuals in the broadcast industry, and for that we are truly grateful.”

“We feel incredibly privileged to be recognized in the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame,” said Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “Our entire American Idol team is honored to be a part of such a groundbreaking show, and we’re very thankful to everyone who has supported the series for the past 10 seasons.”

“The star power of American Idol takes what is already the industry’s premier awards event and elevates it to yet another level,” added Louis Hillelson, VP/Group Publisher, Broadcasting & Cable. “We are thrilled to welcome Idol into the Hall of Fame, and we look forward to what will be a truly unforgettable evening.”

American Idol is an undisputed ratings juggernaut, has ranked as the No. 1 show for eight consecutive seasons and has shattered a series of long-standing television records. A bona fide cultural phenomenon, Idol resonates far beyond the scope of television. The show broke out from the unscripted genre by offering the viewing public a first: the chance for America to choose the next music star through telephone, text, and more recently, online voting. In 2011, the series finale garnered an astonishing and record-breaking 122 million votes, which was the highest number of votes in the show’s history.

American Idol set out to prove that one audition can change the rest of someone’s life. And it did just that by producing some of the biggest names in the music business, and the show’s talent roster reads like a Who’s Who of the entertainment industry including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Daughtry, Adam Lambert and David Cook. Idol finalists have also been awarded a long list of accolades, including nine Grammy wins.

Over the years, some of the faces have changed, but the goal of the show remains the same: empowering viewers to decide who will be America’s next singing superstar. Emmy-nominated host Ryan Seacrest has been with the show since day one and continues to keep viewers engaged throughout each broadcast. Last year, Idol welcomed two new judges to sit alongside Grammy Award-winning producer and 20 year music industry veteran Randy Jackson on the panel for Season 10: Golden Globe-nominated actress, platinum-selling recording artist, movie producer and entrepreneur Jennifer Lopez; and multiple Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter, frontman of Aerosmith and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Steven Tyler.

In addition to winning multiple Primetime Emmy Awards, Teen Choice Awards, Kid’s Choice Awards and People’s Choice Awards, the show was honored with the prestigious Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Governors Award in 2007 for Idol Gives Back, which has raised nearly $185 million for U.S. and global charities. Most recently, series creator and executive producer Simon Fuller was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The upcoming 11th season promises to have some incredible moments, and as always, will feature plenty of not-to-be-missed surprises.

The 2011 class takes its place alongside the over 300 luminaries who have been recognized previously by Broadcasting & Cable Magazine.  Additional 2011 honorees will be announced shortly.

Beneficiaries from the event include the charitable organization Broadcasters Foundation of America and, for the first time, The Paley Center for Media.

A safety net for radio and television professionals across the country, Broadcasters Foundation of America provides anonymous financial grants to those who are in acute need due to critical illness, advanced age, death of a spouse, an accident or other serious misfortune.

The Paley Center for Media, with locations in New York and Los Angeles, leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of television, radio, and emerging platforms for the professional community and media-interested public.

For ticket and sponsorship information, please contact Sandy Friedman at 917-281-4718 or sfriedman@nbmedia.com. To view the 2011 class, visit www.broadcastingcable.com/hof2011.

The fiery 20-year-old film camp counselor from Idyllwild, Calif., who stomped through Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” on Wednesday, was revealed to have received the fewest viewer votes on Thursday, but the judges unanimously decided to save Abrams in the middle of his last-chance performance of Ray Charles’ “I Don’t Need No Doctor.”

“We know who you are, Casey,” interrupted Randy Jackson. “We don’t need to hear you sing anymore.”

Abrams was visibly shaken after the judges announced they were using their one-time-only power to keep him in the competition. Producers introduced two seasons ago the ability to overturn viewers’ votes before the top five finalists are selected. Rescuing the quirky singer this week means two contestants will be booted next week.

“God, I can’t believe it,” said Abrams, who battled ulcerative colitis in the hospital two weeks ago.

Abrams, a dynamic musician who played such instruments as the melodica and upright bass during his earlier auditions, had been deemed a front-runner. He impressed the panel during the first round of finals with Joe Cocker’s rendition of “With a Little Help From My Friends,” but faltered last week with his screechy take of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

“No more antics,” advised Jennifer Lopez after Thursday’s bail-out.

Thia Megia, the breathy 16-year-old high school student from Mountain House, Calif., who sizzled with Martha and the Vandellas’ “Heatwave,” and Stefano Langone, the soaring 21-year-old singer from Kent, Wash., who crooned Lionel Ritchie’s “Hello,” joined Abrams as the bottom three vote-getters. It was the first time at the bottom for Langone and Abrams.

“Dude, you know they’re going to save you,” Langone whispered to Abrams after the results.

Before Abrams’ salvation, the top 11 finalists donned formal wear for a group rendition of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” They were also joined by Stevie Wonder for “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.” Wonder surprised “Idol” judge Steven Tyler by launching into “Happy Birthday,” and the finalists presented the Aerosmith frontman with a birthday cake.

“Idol” host Ryan Seacrest faked out pro-wrestling fans James Durbin, the 22-year-old rocker of Santa Cruz, Calif., and Paul McDonald, the 26-year-old singer-songwriter of Nashville, Tenn., by revealing they were “not safe” then introducing pro-wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, who proclaimed the duo really were safe and tossed Seacrest into the audience.

The other remaining finalists this season, the show’s 10th, are Naima Adedapo, 26, of Milwaukee; Lauren Alaina, 16, of Rossville, Ga.; Jacob Lusk, 23, of Compton, Calif.; Scotty McCreery, 17, of Garner, N.C.; Haley Reinhart, 20, of Wheeling, Ill., Pia Toscano, 22, of Howard Beach, N.Y. The singers will return to the “Idol” stage Wednesday before a pair will be eliminated next Thursday.

If the new method gets the green light, viewers of the reality talent show – which features pop star Jennifer Lopez as a judge – will be able to log on to the social networking website to view a dedicated page on which they can cast their votes.

Each fan will be able to use the facility 50 times during a telecast’s voting period – but will still also have the option of making their choice via text message or toll-free phone calls as well.

Although the show’s network Fox hasn’t yet commented, it is reported that executive producer Nigel Lythgoe leaked plans to introduce a form of online voting this week, while creator Simon Fuller has been pushing for online voting as part an overhaul for season ten.

Earlier this week it was also rumoured that Simon Cowell is embracing Facebook voting for the US version of ‘The X Factor’.

The 10th season of “American Idol” kicked off Wednesday night, but new judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez didn’t quite shake it up as promised.

While the Aerosmith front man was playful and flirty during two days of New Jersey auditions, J.Lo spent most of the time struggling with two letters, N and O.

As promised, no members of the three-strong panel – that includes returning judge Randy Jackson – pulled the Simon Cowell card.

Instead, Tyler, who was pegged to take his place, could somehow soften even the most stinging insults, perhaps because he doesn’t speak as dismissively as Cowell.

“Did you eat paint chips as a child?” he asked a burping contestant in a gruff voice, before adding: “We have a higher standard here.”

While he drummed and squealed along with the contestants, J.Lo sat firmly in her seat, appearing to take her new job seriously.

Unfortunately, while Tyler mostly commented on their tunes (with a few comments about the women’s hotness thrown in), Lopez seemed to have an eye primarily for assembly-line pop princesses like her predecessors.

“You guys are crazy – she’s beautiful, she’s only 15 and she’s giving us some energy,” she said of Kenzie Palmer, a pretty teenager from Philadelphia with a generic voice that failed to ignite Tyler or Jackson.

She and Jackson later subtly slammed the dress sense of perfectly attractive, clear front-runner Devyn Rush, a 20-year-old bluesy singing waitress from Pennsylvania who works in Times Square.

“Your voice is the star,” Lopez told her, “so start dressing that way…because this business is about image as well.”

Lopez appeared to loosen up and stop sneaking looks at the camera so often as the contest progressed.

Stand-outs included a Jersey Shore native named Tiffany Rios who wore stars on her brassiere; Ashley Sullivan, a rabid Britney Spears fan; Victoria Huggins, a spunky 16-year-old from North Carolina and a Japanese Michael Jackson impersonator named Yoji “Pop” Asano who hated Miley Cyrus.

Ultimately, 51 people were chosen for Hollywood, including Kenzie Palmer, 15, one of the youngest contestants the show has ever seen.