In this Wednesday, March 30, 2011 photo released by Fox, Thia Megia ... more >LOS ANGELES (AP) - Simon Cowell has gone from “American Idol” judge to a potential headache for the show.
A furor over whether Cowell’s British talent show “The X Factor” electronically altered contestant voices has prompted “American Idol” to make a pre-emptive strike.
“We have never, nor would we ever, use Auto-Tuning during the `American Idol’ competition,” producers of the Fox show said in a statement Thursday, referring to pitch-correcting technology.
“American Idol” viewers can attest that contestants have been regularly scolded for “pitchiness.”
Cowell left the judge’s panel on the top-rated Fox series at the end of last season and is bringing “The X Factor,” which he created in Britain and is hugely popular there, to the Fox network in 2011.
Fans of “The X Factor” have alleged online that pitch-correction software was used to alter some performances. The show’s producers responded to the outcry by acknowledging that post-production was used to correct for the interplay of the various microphones used during filming.
The producers vowed to avoid the use of electronic pitch correction.
British media outlets have made hay of the issue, with Cowell a particular target. His photo was featured on the front of Britain’s Daily Mirror on Monday, under the caption: “X Faker.”
___
Fox is a unit of News Corp.
___
Online:
'Your papers, please' must never be heard in America
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
From raising children to identifying educational and service options for your children, Speaking of Family is where you can write...
Born in 1930 in rural Missouri, Charles Vandegriffe, Sr., brings his time and place to the Communities.
In a world that is increasingly complex, we need to seek greater awareness of the blending of cultures and America's changing role in a global community.
Benghazi: The anatomy of a scandal
13 Photos
Vietnam Memorial adds four names
18 Photos
Cinco de Mayo on the Mall
11 Photos
