Twittering for bed nets

Celebrities will begin to send Twitter messages today to raise awareness about malaria. Bill Gates, Colin Powell and Shaquille O'Neal are some of the celebrities that will encourage their followers to buy mosquito blocking bed nets.

Tonight's American Idol will also raise money for malaria fighting with money going the United Nations Malaria No More campaign.

From Reuters, writer Alex Dobuzinskis tells us more about the events.

Organizers of the Twitter fund-raising push are working with the United Nations Special Envoy for Malaria, Ray Chambers.

"It's one of the few campaigns I'm aware of where $10 buys a bednet which can save a child's life," Chambers told Reuters. "The tangible feel of it is greater than any other campaign I've been exposed to."

Malaria causes more than 1 million deaths annually worldwide, but the problem is most acute in Africa.

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On Wednesday, singing contest "American Idol," the top-rated program on U.S. television, holds its "Idol Gives Back" show. That too will ask for public donations for malaria relief, as well as charities working with children and poverty in the United States.
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The Twitter campaign is a way to build that awareness, because collectively, the participants have 50 million followers on social networking site Twitter.

Organizers said it was unclear how much money will be raised through the campaign, which was inspired by a race a year ago between actor Kutcher and news outlet CNN to be the first to reach 1 million followers on Twitter.

After Kutcher won the contest, he donated $100,000 to Malaria No More, which is one of the groups that will benefit from this latest Twitter campaign.

Idol Charities Still Waiting For Funds

from the Non Profit Times

By Michele Donohue
Sure, there were lights and cameras. But, the charities that signed on for the televised fundraising edition of American Idol, the Idol Gives Back, still didn't know how much money was going to be donated to them more than one month after the show's April 9 airing.

And while they will eventually receive cash, they will never know who donated the cash so that they can follow-up for further development.

The charities -- Children's Defense Fund, The Children's Health Fund, The Global Fund, Make It Right, Malaria No More and Save the Children - were not told how the foundation would divide funds and won't receive access to donor lists. A spokesperson for American Idol's public relations firm, BWR Public Relations, said that the fundraising will continue and declined to release the amount raised. The spokesperson, who likewise declined to be identified, said the revenue was comparable to last year's $76 million.

Some of the benefiting charities didn't seem to sweat the details. "It was great exposure. It will help us in the long run to get our name out there. That's what we are most excited for," said Ed Shelleby, spokesman for Children's Defense Fund (CDF), a child advocacy nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. "It's an opportunity to serve as an introduction to people who might not have heard of us otherwise."

Said Shelleby: "It's only the second year they have done this, so they are still figuring out how to divvy up the funds and how that works." He said that interest spiked for the organization, celebrating 35 years this year, after the show. "We couldn't have asked for a better birthday present. It's just such a fantastic thing that they do and we couldn't be happier."

Charity Projects Entertainment Fund (CPEF) worked with American Idol and the Fox network last year to distribute more than $76 million collected during the two-night special. CPEF's board includes Idol judge and producer Simon Fuller and Idol executive producer and Freemantle Media North America CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz. CPEF awarded $63.4 million in grants and used $5 million to pay for the campaign and other costs, according to CPEF. The board will discuss how to use the balance. CPEF plans to release official financial statements after completing an audit.

This year, the funds will be distributed by the newly-created Idol Gives Back Foundation with a board that includes Fuller and Frot-Coutaz.

Carole Sumkin, vice president of development at The Children's Health Fund (CHF), said the New York City-based nonprofit saw a jump in Web traffic after the show and it "cultivated a wonderful boon to the organization." CHF also benefited from the Idol Foundation last year. The $7.5 million donation funded more than 100,000 medical, mental health and dental visits for medically underserved children and other programs.

It was also the second time American Idol donated to Save the Children (STC), a Westport, Conn.-based nonprofit dedicated to assisting disadvantaged children. The organization has a global reach, but American Idol requested that this year's donations be used specifically for the United States program.

"It was thrilling and an honor. We're incredibly excited and incredibly grateful that they understood our value," said Mark Shriver, vice president and managing director for U.S. programs. He said that the organization provided American Idol with an accountability structure and where the money would be applied.

Last year, STC received $13.5 million from American Idol and an additional $1 million from Allstate Insurance Company, announced during the show, to fund the organization's education and health initiatives in Africa and United States.

Shriver said that American Idol exposure has brought STC's message to a wide audience -- from his 13-year-old neighbor to government officials on Capitol Hill.

"They have educated a generation of people," said Shriver. Randy Jackson, a judge on the show, serves as STC's first United States Programs Ambassador. "It raises the visibility that kids live in poverty all across the country."

But interest in the charities might wane, leaving no way for the organizations to contact American Idol donors since the list is not made available to them. "It's hard to develop donors if you don't know who they are," said Tim Seiler, director of Public Service and The Fund Raising School at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. "The response in a call-in program like that, a lot of times, is a spontaneous and impulsive one triggered by a stimulus -- which in this case sounds like it's celebrities. So the response might be as much to the celebrity as it is to the cause."

Sumkin said although CHF will not receive donor lists, working with American Idol opened up other opportunities for the organization. "It's great for the perception of us in the nonprofit world," said Sumkin, who likened the American Idol partnership as a "stamp of approval" when working with institutional donors. The organization was recently selected as a beneficiary of Fox Sports Supports, a new on-air charity awareness campaign. Fox will run CHF's campaign during the 2008-2009 National Football League (NFL) season and postseason, ending with the National Football Conference (NFC) Championship Game.

Celebrities affiliated with the beneficiary nonprofits came out to show support on Idol Gives Back. Actress Reese Witherspoon, a CDF board member, spoke on the organization's behalf while actor Brad Pitt discussed Make It Right, his own initiative to rebuild the New Orleans Lower 9th Ward area decimated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Pre-taped appearances included presidential candidates Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain and a pledge from British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for 20 million anti-malaria bed nets from the United Kingdom's government.

'Idol' gives back again

from the Detroit Free Press

Superstars join show's effort to raise millions for kids and causes worldwide

BY JULIE HINDS

So many celebrities wanting to pitch in and help. So little time.
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That's the problem "American Idol" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe faced in the planning for tonight's "Idol Gives Back" special.

"How am I going to get all of this in?" said Lythgoe by phone from Los Angeles, contemplating a list of stars that includes Brad Pitt, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Miley Cyrus, Snoop Dogg, Reese Witherspoon, John Legend and former "Idol" winner Carrie Underwood.

"I don't sleep at night at the moment. I really don't, because I know that we will have to cut somebody out and they'll go mad."

"Idol Gives Back" airs at 7:30 tonight on Fox and runs an expanded 2 1/2 hours. Donations will be taken by phone and the Internet during the show.

When the idea debuted last year, it transformed "American Idol," at least for one night, from a fluffy TV diversion into a nationwide teachable moment.

The show brought in $76 million for charities that help children and families in poverty in Africa and the U.S. The amount of money involved was huge, and so was the awareness raised among "Idol" fans.

The message that even small donations matter had an impact on younger viewers like Sarah McEneaney, 14, of Rochester, who worked with a friend to put on a carnival in her yard last spring that raised more than $75 for "Idol Gives Back."

"We thought it would be fun and we felt like helping out," says McEneaney, who was inspired after seeing footage of other kids in need.

This year, "Idol Gives Back" again will feature clips of celebrities visiting children facing heartrending hardships.

Tonight's broadcast combines an event taped Sunday at the Kodak Theater with live elements. It features more celebrities than before, plus messages from presidential candidates and Sens. Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Barack Obama.

But it will be minus a gimmick that wasn't so popular last year.

On the first "Idol Gives Back," Ryan Seacrest kept hinting that the episode would have the "most shocking result in our history." And once everyone but the season's ultimate winner, Jordin Sparks, was declared safe, it seemed as if she was getting the boot.

As it turned out, nobody got kicked off that night. The fake-out prompted some grumbling among fans, who have a love-hate relationship with "Idol" ploys. As Michael Slezak wrote on the Entertainment Weekly Web site, "I can't fault 'em for playing fast and loose with my emotional well-being. It's what they do best."

Still, Lythgoe said he thinks it was an effective moment. "It took everyone by surprise, so there's no question it worked," he says. "But once you've done it, you've done it. You can't do it again."
Helping kids in need

This time, the results show will air Thursday night, putting tonight's focus totally on the stars and, more importantly, the cause.

Lythgoe feels "Idol Gives Back" brings the same frankness to issues of poverty that the regular show does to its singing critiques.

"We've done filming here, just this season, in Kentucky that is only just a little better than places I've seen in Africa. We have to recognize the fact, and I think this program brings that to light. It doesn't sweep things under the carpet."

Six charities will benefit from this year's broadcast: the Children's Defense Fund; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; Make It Right (a campaign launched by Pitt to help New Orleans rebound from Hurricane Katrina); Malaria No More; Save the Children, and the Children's Health Fund.

Ford Motor Co. is among the returning corporate sponsors.

Donations from last year's "Idol Gives Back" have helped Save the Children with several programs, like reaching more than 14,000 children in rural America and more than 10,000 affected by last year's wildfires in southern California, according to Mark Shriver, vice president and managing director of U.S. programs for the organization.

On a personal note, Shriver, the son of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and brother of Maria Shriver, recalls how a 12-year-old neighbor wrote him a note describing how the show changed her life and made her want to work to help poor children..

"When you can touch people's hearts, when you can reach and touch people to say there's poverty in America and we should do something about it, that's an amazing thing," he says.

On Monday, the New York Times reported that formal accounting for last year's "Idol Gives Back" hasn't been released yet, although it's expected to be out by the federal deadline for charities in May.

Interviews done by the Times indicated most of what was raised has been given or pledged to the charities involved, with about $5 million going to administrative costs (a percentage described as "a generally lower amount than used by most charities for overhead"). Roughly $55 million was contributed by individuals, $14 million by corporations, and $7 million by corporations or foundations making direct or matching grants to the designated charities.
A song for a pledge

Highlights of Sunday night's concert included appearances by Pitt, Witherspoon, Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman, a bit where Robin Williams played a Russian Idol, and a duet between Fergie and Heart.

Lythgoe says "Idol" contestants will answer phone calls coming in live tonight and maybe even sing to some of the callers.

And if gossip spreads about any possible surprises (as it did last year over Celine Dion's electronic duet with Elvis Presley), that's fine by him.

Where ‘Idol’s’ Charitable Arm Reaches

from The New York Times

By EDWARD WYATT

LOS ANGELES — Just about anyone who has tuned in “American Idol” this season has seen video clips of Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell touring slums in Africa or working with victims of poverty in the United States as part of the program’s “Idol Gives Back” charity. Ryan Seacrest, the show’s host, has repeatedly extolled the charity for the $76 million it raised last year.

But even as “American Idol” and Fox Broadcasting prepare for their second annual star-studded “Idol Gives Back” appeal on Wednesday, officials at the charity have declined to release a formal accounting of last year’s effort. A spokesman for the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund, the organization that oversaw the fund-raising and distribution, said its financial statements were being audited and would be released by the federal financial reporting deadline for charities in May.

That does little, however, to help individuals and corporations that, while considering further contributions, might wonder what happened to the money they gave last year. But interviews with officials involved in the charities that received money as well as people associated with the fund-raising effort show that most of what was raised last year has been given or pledged to organizations fighting poverty in the United States and Africa. Some $5 million of last year’s proceeds and interest remains undistributed.

About $55 million was contributed by individuals who called in during last year’s “Idol Gives Back” program, and corporations contributed roughly $14 million more, according to interviews with officials involved in the effort. An additional $7 million came from corporations and foundations that made direct or matching grants to the charities designated to receive money.

Roughly $68 million of the $76 million raised last year has been pledged to nine charities that seek to reduce poverty in the United States and in Africa. Because that money was designated to be given to the charities over two years, a little more than half of it has been distributed so far, officials at the charities said.

About $5 million of the total was used for administrative costs, including paying for the telephone lines to accept the contributions and the legal and other costs associated with making sure that the recipients had good plans for the money. At 7 percent of the direct contributions to “Idol Gives Back,” that is a generally lower amount than used by most charities for overhead.

Overall officials at the nine charities that received the money said they were pleased with the efforts of the “Idol Gives Back” charity, particularly with officials’ rigor in vetting potential uses of the money.

“Sometimes celebrity or entertainment-industry-based charities might not be the most sophisticated organizations in distributing the money they raise,” said Dr. Irwin Redlener, the president and a co-founder, with the musician Paul Simon, of the Children’s Health Fund. “But the ‘American Idol’ group got up to speed more rapidly than I’ve ever seen before. And they did a tremendous amount of investigation and due diligence among the organizations that could be potential recipients.”

Last year’s money was raised and distributed through the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund, which was co-founded by Richard Curtis, a British screenwriter and film director who also was a founder of the Comic Relief charity events and who helped organize the Live Aid concerts. Mr. Curtis teamed with Simon Fuller, the executive producer who brought “American Idol” to the United States from Britain, to originate the charity effort in the United States.

Because Comic Relief had considerable experience in raising and distributing money for charity, the “American Idol” producers relied on its infrastructure, through the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund, which was overseen by a group of American and British trustees.

This year, however, the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund is not involved in the project. Instead it will be more directly overseen by the producers of “American Idol” under a new charity, which has taken the name of the fund-raiser, Idol Gives Back.

Cecile Frot-Coutaz, an executive producer of “American Idol” and chief executive of FremantleMedia North America, the production company that oversees the program’s production, said the change was intended to focus the efforts of “American Idol” better on its own charitable causes.

Ms. Frot-Coutaz said the older charity would still lend expertise and had been involved in some aspects of this year’s campaign, like filming the work of the designated charities in Africa.

Last year’s money was roughly evenly distributed between charities working in Africa and those working in the United States, she said, but this year more of the money will go to domestic charities.

In the United States four charities received pledges of $7.5 million each from last year’s effort: America’s Second Harvest, a hunger-relief organization; Save the Children, which provides educational resources for poor children; the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, an educational and social organization; and the Children’s Health Fund. Another $37,500 was distributed to smaller charities in the United States, officials said.

Five organizations received pledges of $6 million each for work in Africa: the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria; the United States Fund for Unicef; Nothing but Nets and Malaria No More, which work on malaria prevention; and Save the Children.

Another $1 million went to the Kibera Initiative, which helps children in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya, and $340,000 went to smaller African charities. The $7 million in matching and direct corporate contributions went to four of the nine charities.

Four of the charities that received money last year have been designated for contributions again this year: the Global Fund, Malaria No More, the Children’s Health Fund and the domestic programs of Save the Children.

In addition two new organizations join the beneficiaries: the Children’s Defense Fund, which helps children in poverty; and Make It Right, a campaign to help New Orleans recover from the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

"Idol" pitching for charity

from the Denver Post

By Joanne Ostrow

On a conference call to promote "Idol Gives Back" — the charity fundraiser sponsored by ratings monolith "American Idol" that will air next Wednesday night on Fox — executive producer Nigel Lythgoe first was questioned about the condition of a current "American Idol" contestant.

David Cook was hospitalized after suffering heart palpitations and high blood pressure, and was taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center Tuesday night, Lythgoe said this afternoon. The "Idol" contender is expected back on television's No. 1 show with no residual problems.

Pushing to the charitable point, there are tens of millions of dollars to be raised by fans of the show for worthy causes, Lythgoe said.

"When you see the shots of Kentucky and the starvation going in this very country, it's disgusting," he said.

Last year's first-time "Idol Gives Back" campaign raised more than $76 million. This year's installment, to be broadcast next Wednesday from 6:30-9 p.m. on KDVR-Channel 31, has an even more extensive list of celebrity participants.

The lineup includes Robin Williams, Celine Dion, Forest Whitaker, Billy Crystal, Dane Cook, Kiefer Sutherland, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Jennifer Connolly, Elliott Yamin, Fantasia, Amy Adams, Bono, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Fergie, Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Annie Lennox, John Legend, Snoop Dogg, Maroon 5, Heart and Gloria Estefan. Plus all of the U.S. presidential candidates.

Ellen DeGeneres, initially slated to co-host with Ryan Seacrest, withdrew due to "personal production pressures," Lythgoe said.

If it falls to "Idol" to do good works, "so be it," Lythgoe said. The pitch for charity is "something they should be being told by people other than ourselves, to be honest."

Viewers will see familiar shots of their "Idol" favorites making the case for the needy. Judge Simon Cowell is currently touring with medical trucks in poverty stricken communities in the U.S. Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson have been on the road as well, following stories provided by the charities.

During the show, viewers will be invited make donations via toll-free lines and the Internet. Money raised by the special will be distributed to pre-determined charities: the Children's Defense Fund; The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; Make It Right; Malaria No More; Save The Children and the Children's Health Fund.

"Idol" gives back $60 million, inspires thousands

from TV Guide

By Jill Serjeant

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The "American Idol" charity shows raised more than $60 million and inspired tens of thousands of Americans to join global anti-poverty campaigns, organizers said on Thursday.

Although some fans said the two-hour special failed to live up to its star-studded promise, the show of inspirational songs, skits and video clips of child poverty in Africa and the United States drew a 26.4 million television audience on Wednesday, the Fox network said.

Fox said the event had already raised $60 million in corporate and viewer donations, and more money was coming in. An updated total will be announced when "American Idol" returns to its regular format next week.

The "Idol Gives Back" two-night special was the first venture by a U.S. reality show into mass fund-raising. It cemented the credentials of what has grown from cheesy summer talent competition into a cultural phenomenon and the nation's most watched TV show.

The ONE Campaign to Make Poverty History, a coalition of dozens of nonprofits like Oxfam and Save the Children, said more than 70,000 Americans joined the campaign after the show, which included an appeal by Irish rock star and spokesman Bono.

Save the Children said traffic had increased significantly on its Web site.

"They took a risk by using their show to raise issues of poverty and asking people to contribute, and that is a huge accomplishment," Mark Shriver, vice president of U.S. programs for Save the Children, told Reuters.

"The 'American Idol' format is hugely successful and they introduced starving, dying children in Africa and children struggling with poverty in the United States, and brought that to prime time television," Shriver said.

Fox donated $5 million and presenter Ellen DeGeneres said she would contribute $100,000. A spokesman for normally acerbic British "Idol" judge Simon Cowell said he had made a "significant six figure donation."

But some viewers expressed concern about silence over early pledges that the show's main corporate sponsors would match each vote cast by viewers with donations. A record 70 million votes were cast by text or telephone.

"The details we've gotten have been vague and sketchy, " wrote a blogger on www.TVsquad.com.

Sponsors Coca-Cola and Ford declined on Thursday to say how much they had donated, citing business confidentiality. Ford said its contribution was tied to Internet downloads of its "Idol" music videos. AT&T could not be reached for comment.

Others complained that too many stars appeared only in brief video segments and some failed to turn up at all.

"Speaking of missing celebrities, wasn't Gwen Stefani, Pink and Michael Buble supposed to be there? Why did they promise so much, yet deliver so little?" asked Damien666, a blogger on the official www.americanidol.com Web site.

Fox said on Thursday some of the talent had to pull out and prerecorded pieces by others had been cut for reasons of time and would be shown later in the season.

[Comment] "Idol" not tone deaf to poverty

from The Seattle Times

E.J. Dionne / Syndicated columnist

WASHINGTON — Do you find it obnoxious when super-rich people in the music industry come forward to preen about their exquisitely sensitive social consciences?

Is there something worse than a multimillion-dollar televised entertainment operation patting itself on the back for weeks on end in celebration of its brilliantly inventive and groundbreaking approach to philanthropy?

Actually there is something worse: a total indifference to human suffering. If pampered stars and their corporate patrons have a hankering for public approval or — could it be? — a sense of authentic obligation, perhaps that behavior should be encouraged.

Those among the 30 million or so regular watchers of Fox's "American Idol" (yes, I confess I'm one) will know I'm referring to the "Idol Gives Back" spectacular that airs tonight and Wednesday to raise money for poor children in the U.S. and Africa.

Television has been used to raise money for good causes before. Jerry Lewis began his telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association way back in 1966. The "Idol" folks are keen on distinguishing their dazzling collection of stars from Lewis' ancient exertions, but old Jerry deserves some credit.

What marks a genuine cultural change is "Idol's" interest in poverty itself. The extravaganza is not just about collecting money for some good causes (America's Second Harvest, Save the Children, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and UNICEF, among others). The program will, in effect, be a sustained, two-night argument to "Idol's" viewers that they might have an obligation to do something about injustice and the pain of others. This is subversive.

Everyone involved in the "Idol" effort bristles at the idea that there is anything controversial about their project, and far be it from me to get in the way of their fundraising.

Randy Jackson, the "Idol" judge who hails from Baton Rouge and will appear on videos about American poverty, waxed eloquent about how important it is for "Idol" to shine "its huge spotlight on what's happening, especially in New Orleans." But he politely pushed back when I mentioned the P-word. The show is "not political at all" and "people think too much about what the issues are as opposed to going out and helping people."

Richard Curtis, the screenwriter for "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Love Actually" and in many ways the inspiration behind this week's broadcast, also walks away from anything that smacks of politics. Curtis pioneered "Red Nose Day" in Britain in the 1980s, which has raised nearly a billion dollars — and awareness of poverty.

Yet it's revealing that Curtis, who worked up the idea for "Idol Gives Back" with the show's creator, Simon Fuller, had his views on poverty shaped by the work of Bono, Bob Geldof and the success of the Live Aid concerts in 1985.

Red Nose Day has been successful, Curtis says, because it is seen as nonpartisan. But the power of the movement stems from the idea that help for the poor, which flows easily after disasters such as a famine or a tsunami, should not be on-again, off-again. Instead, he said, it should focus on "the day-to-day urgency of poverty," the "concept of long-term development" and on how the most basic things — "clean water, food, medicines" — are out of the reach of millions around the globe. That has implications.

Note also that this idea, like "American Idol" itself, is a British import. It reflects the culture that shaped Prime Minister Tony Blair. He in turn has transformed British conservatism at least as much as he's changed his own side. Support for an assault on poverty both at home and abroad is thus much further advanced across Britain's political spectrum. Imagine: Simon Cowell, "Idol's" know-it-all judge, has been complicit in this new British invasion of social consciousness.

I'd actually prefer to be completely caustic in writing about "American Idol." But Mark Shriver, vice president of Save the Children's U. S. programs that will benefit from the show, may be right in seeing "Idol" as taking "a huge risk" in focusing on poverty. One of the show's producers, Nigel Lythgoe, said of the honchos at Fox: "They weren't as positive as I think we were and slightly nervous. Anything that saves your network every year, you don't want to play around with."

Then again, as Curtis notes, "American Idol" is a show that encourages families to talk things over, so why shouldn't it "deal with issues that people should talk about?" Anyway, how much longer did we want to keep talking about Sanjaya?

E.J. Dionne's column appears regularly on editorial pages of The Times. His e-mail address is postchat@aol.com

'American Idol' Fights Poverty

from Zap 2 It

Borat will appear, along with Stefani, Groban, Pink, Bublé, Lennox and Il Divo

As "American Idol" viewers already know, Ryan Seacrest announced on Thursday (March 8) that the wildly popular FOX talent show will raise funds and awareness for poverty this April.

"Idol Gives Back" will be a two-night special airing on Tuesday, April 24 and Wednesday, April 25.

"'American Idol' has given so much to this network and we don't take that for granted," says FOX Entertainment President Peter Liguori. "To quote a famous superhero, 'with the gift of power comes great responsibility,' which is why we feel so fortunate to partner in this special television event, giving back."

On the Tuesday, Top Six finalists will sing songs within the theme "Life Anthems," songs about compassion and hope. Viewers will vote as usual that night, but as an added twist, the "Idol" sponsors -- Coca-Cola, AT&T among others -- will donate a certain amount of money to organizations that provide relief programs to help children and young people in extreme poverty in America and Africa.

The Wednesday results show will be expanded to two-hours and will feature artists including Gwen Stefani, Josh Groban, Pink, Michael Bublé, Annie Lennox and Il Divo. Sacha Baron Cohen will also make a plea in his Borat character. FOX will turn that episode into a telethon, urging viewers to make donations via toll-free lines and the Internet.

Nigel Lythgoe, Ken Warwick and Cecile Frot-Coutaz, "Idol" executive producers, observe, "This is going to be a television event unlike any other. We are planning two nights of amazing, star-studded entertainment, and we're using the power of 'American Idol' to raise needed awareness and funds. Our fans can give directly if they want, but they can also impact the lives of people in this country and in Africa just by voting as they do every week. It's that easy and it's that important."

The Charity Projects Entertainment Fund will distribute the funds to Save the Children and a variety of other anti-poverty organizations in the United states and to international organizations including U.S. Fund for UNICEF, The Global Fund, Save the Children, Nothing but Nets and Malaria No More.

American Idol: American Idol Aid

from Reality TV Calender

Report by Ron Lemon

Last night on the American Idol results show that gave us the Top 12 for season six Ryan Seacrest announced the beginning of a huge charity campaign to help the poverty stricken children of both Africa and America. It's been reported that American Idol generates over a half billion dollars a year world wide. It's time they did something like this and I expect it will be very successful. It's nice to report that the show is doing something right. I'll support it and I hope you will too.

Here are the details as released by FOX.
During last nights live broadcast of AMERICAN IDOL, it was announced that FOX, AMERICAN IDOL and the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund (CPEF) have partnered on an historic television event IDOL GIVES BACK a two-night special raising awareness and funds for organizations that provide relief programs to help children and young people in extreme poverty in America and Africa.

The AMERICAN IDOL performance show airs Tuesday, April 24 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) and the expanded results show airs Wednesday, April 25 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.

On Tuesday, April 24 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), the Top 6 finalists will sing songs that can be considered Life Anthems. In keeping with the IDOL GIVES BACK theme, all the songs performed will be about compassion and hope. After the performance show, viewers will vote for their favorite contestants via toll-free numbers and text messages, as usual. On this special night, however, viewers will also help change the lives of the truly needy. For every vote cast, AMERICAN IDOL sponsors Coca-Cola and AT&T, along with a range of additional partners, will donate money to the charity.

The Ford Motor Company will also contribute to the cause in connection with its weekly music video, details of which will be announced soon.

The special two-hour results show on Wednesday, April 25 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) will be a star-studded evening featuring world-renowned artists and celebrities, including Gwen Stefani, Josh Groban, Pink, Michael Bubl, Annie Lennox, Il Divo and popular Kazakhstan journalist Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) among many others who will take the AMERICAN IDOL stage.

During the Wednesday event, adding to the corporate contributions, viewers will be able to make their own donations via toll-free lines and the Internet.

The money raised by the two shows will equally benefit the U.S. and Africa. In the U.S., the money will be distributed via CPEF to Save the Children and other U.S. organizations working to deliver programs to children living in extreme conditions in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country. To find out more about poverty here in America, please visit www.savethechildren.org.

In Africa, the money will be dedicated to delivering health and education programs and will be distributed via CPEF to a number of organizations, including U.S. Fund for UNICEF, The Global Fund, Save the Children, Nothing but Nets and Malaria No More. For viewers interested in learning more about how to get involved in efforts to fight AIDS and extreme poverty around the world, IDOL GIVES BACK is also providing a link on its website (www.americanidol.com/idolgivesback) to ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History (www.one.org).

Richard Curtis is a remarkable man and the Red Nose Day charity on BBC TV is an amazing humanitarian effort. Richard approached me a couple of years ago and asked how we could work together to launch a major new televised charity initiative in the U.S. following on from the $820 million that he has raised in the UK with Red Nose Day, stated Simon Fuller, creator and executive producer of AMERICAN IDOL. After lengthy discussions it occurred to me that we should use AMERICAN IDOL as an existing platform to premiere this idea. Thanks to the huge support of FOX and the enthusiasm and energy of Nigel Lythgoe, Ken Warwick, Cecile Frot-Coutaz and Simon, Ryan, Paula and Randy, it has finally become a reality. Red Nose Day is an extraordinary institution and I am hoping that IDOL GIVES BACK is an enormous success, raising awareness and huge amounts of money for all these wonderfully deserving causes, and allowing us to continue to make these important, world-changing shows for many years to come.

When we were approached by Richard Curtis, Simon Fuller, Simon Cowell and CPEF about this project, we felt it was a natural fit, said Peter Chernin, president and chief operating officer, News Corporation. For the past five seasons, viewers have fulfilled the dreams of the contestants. Now they have the chance to help us change the lives of children and young people in need and at risk, here in the U.S. as well as in Africa.

We are thrilled to have this unique opportunity to work with AMERICAN IDOL to bring the issue of extreme poverty in Africa and in America into the hearts, minds and homes of millions of Americans, said Richard Curtis, co-founder of the UKs Red Nose Day charity and renowned writer/director of such films as Love Actually, Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral. Curtis was a founding member of the Make Poverty History coalition and worked throughout 2004 and 2005 on the campaign and Live 8 with Bono and Bob Geldof.

U2s Bono, co-founder of the One Campaign to Make Poverty History, said, Well see worlds collide when Africa appears on America's most-watched TV show. This is a big deal, a little bit of pop history ... I wouldnt underestimate the reach of this show or the impact its audience can have.

The IDOL GIVES BACK premiere provides an excellent opportunity for AMERICAN IDOL viewers to engage with the issues of poverty and health in Africa. People all across Africa are fighting back against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and there is optimism and hope everywhere. AMERICAN IDOL viewers will be able to learn more about these successes and contribute directly to them. It is a wonderfully exciting opportunity, and I thank Richard Curtis, Simon Fuller, Peter Chernin and the many others who are launching IDOL GIVES BACK, said Sir Richard Feachem, executive director of the Global Fund.

Using the power of the worlds most popular television event, AMERICAN IDOL, to benefit millions of needy children around the globe, is a remarkable and extraordinary achievement. On behalf of 25 million children in Save the Childrens programs worldwide, we are all deeply excited and appreciative, said Bill Haber, board trustee of Save the Children.

AMERICAN IDOL has given so much to this network and we dont take that for granted, said Peter Liguori, president of entertainment for Fox Broadcasting Company. To quote a famous superhero, with the gift of power comes great responsibility, which is why we feel so fortunate to partner in this special television event, giving back.

Executive Producers Nigel Lythgoe, Ken Warwick and Cecile Frot-Coutaz added: This is going to be a television event unlike any other. We are planning two nights of amazing, star-studded entertainment, and were using the power of AMERICAN IDOL to raise needed awareness and funds. Our fans can give directly if they want, but they can also impact the lives of people in this country and in Africa just by voting as they do every week. Its that easy and its that important.

Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest traveled to Africa and personally witnessed the poverty and disease there, as well as the extensive programs that are underway to fight them.

Having witnessed some of the appalling conditions in Africa firsthand, Im especially proud that our show is offering Americans the chance to help those most in need, said Cowell. Ensuring that American charities will equally benefit from these efforts was one of my priorities, and Id like to thank our sponsors for their support and generosity in making this possible.

Seacrest added: I thought I was prepared for what I would see in Africa, but the level of poverty was beyond anything I could have imagined. You see it, you smell it, you taste it. However, despite the extreme conditions, you feel an incredible sense of hope from the people ... especially the children.

Additionally, Cowell and Seacrest will be joined by Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, visiting areas such as Kentucky and parts of Mississippi and Louisiana devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Although it has been over a year since the hurricane hit, many peoples lives are still in turmoil despite the efforts being made.

Children and childrens charities have always played such an important part of my life and career, said Abdul. I am extremely excited to be a part of this new project, which I believe can truly make a difference. Visiting the sites of these tragedies will certainly bring a renewed awareness to these childrens plight and I look forward to meeting so many of them in the coming weeks.

Jackson added: Im so happy and proud that we are part of trying to get all of America back on its feet and tend to the problems here at home, in addition to those abroad. I grew up in the proud state of Louisiana and it breaks my heart every time I think about the devastation to both Mississippi and Louisiana. Im looking forward to taking part in making a difference and helping to create awareness for the devastated areas.

These trips will be highlighted in the specials, demonstrating what can be achieved by communities working together and how even small donations can make a life-changing difference.

A website for teachers and students created by Scholastic, the global childrens publishing, education and media company, will be available at www.scholastic.com/idolgivesback. It was designed to inspire students about the importance of global citizenship. The tools provided will help young people understand how they can take action in small and big ways to help make the world a better place for everyone.

Twenty-two-time Emmy-nominated AMERICAN IDOL is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, founder of 19 Entertainment; and executive-produced by Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.; Nigel Lythgoe, President, 19 Television; and Ken Warwick, Executive Producer, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.

Charity Projects Entertainment Fund (CPEF) www.cpefund.com

CPEF is a new charitable organization established to raise money and awareness to help combat extreme poverty in the U.S. and throughout the world, particularly in Africa. CPEFs mission is to use the power of entertainment to drive positive change to achieve its vision of creating a just world free from poverty. CPEF is inspired and supported by the UK charity that invented Red Nose Day.

U.S. Fund for UNICEF www.unicefusa.org

For more than 60 years, UNICEF has been the worlds leading childrens organization, saving more young lives than any other humanitarian organization. Working in over 150 countries and territories, UNICEF knows how to save the lives of children with low-cost, high-impact programs. From child health and nutrition, water and sanitation, education and protection, UNICEFs experience, resources, global presence and perspective are unsurpassed in helping save childrens lives.

The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria www.jointheglobalfund.org

The Global Fund is the worlds leading funder of programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, which taken together kill over 6 million people per year. Created in 2002, the Global Fund has approved 450 grants worth $7 billion to programs in 136 countries. Of this, $2.3 billion has been committed to AIDS programs in Africa. As of December 2006, Global Fund-financed programs had put 770,000 people on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment; distributed 18 million insecticide-treated bed nets to combat malaria; and detected and treated more than 2 million TB cases which are rising sharply due to co-infection with HIV. All Global Fund-financed programs support 2 million orphans around the world.

Save the Children www.savethechildren.org

Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating real and lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. The agency is a member of the International Save the Children Alliance, which is a worldwide network of 28 independent Save the Children organizations working in more than 110 countries to ensure the well-being of children everywhere.

Nothing But Nets www.NothingButNets.net

Nothing But Nets is a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. Inspired by Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly, thousands of people have joined the campaign that was created by the United Nations Foundation. Founding campaign partners include the National Basketball Associations NBA Cares, The People of the United Methodist Church and Sports Illustrated. Other partners include VH-1, The Mark J. Gordon Foundation, AOL Black Voices and Rotarians Action Group on Malaria. It only costs $10 to provide an insecticide-treated bed net that can prevent this deadly disease. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation matches donations dollar for dollar.

Malaria No More www.malarianomore.org

Malaria No Mores mission is simple: to end deaths due to malaria. The world has known how to beat this disease for more than a century, yet it remains the number-one killer of children under five in sub-Saharan Africa, claiming more than 1 million lives a year. Malaria No More engages individuals, organizations and corporations in the private sector to provide life-saving bed nets and other critical interventions to families in need. Together, these investments will significantly reduce malaria infections and make malaria-related deaths a thing of the past.

Founded in 2006 by leading non-governmental institutions, Malaria No More works in partnership with the President's Malaria Initiative, UNICEF, American Red Cross, The Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Millennium Promise, United Way of America, United Nations Foundation, Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and others.

Visit Americanidol.com for more information on IDOL GIVES BACK as well as exclusive videos, photos, special behind-the-scenes information and all of your AMERICAN IDOL news.