‘American Idol’ to Raise Money for Charities

American Idol will seek to raise money for charity during a two-hour special on Tuesday called “Idol Gives Back,” reports Reuters.

The show, which averages 30 million viewers per episode, will offer skits and celebrity appearances on the special.

American Idol’s corporate sponsors — AT&T, Coca-Cola, Ford, and News Corp. — will donate money to charities for each vote cast by viewers by text message and telephone after the Tuesday show. Around 38 million votes were cast after last week’s show, according to the news service.

Viewers can also call to donate to Save the Children, Unicef, Malaria No More, the Global Fund, and Nothing But Nets.

“The reach and appeal of ‘American Idol’ is so massive that the impact could be huge,” said Patty Williamson, a broadcast and cinematic-arts instructor at Central Michigan University. “It’s also an interesting juxtaposition for American Idol, which isn’t known for its compassion when it comes to criticism and making fun of contestants on national television.”

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