Music News - Extra Publicity Nearly Tips Finalist Off 'NZ Idol'
Filipo Saipani
26 February 2004 - 0 Comments
A NZ Idol finalist yesterday came close to being kicked off the show as executives held talks over a publicity piece screened on the Holmes current affairs programme.
Television New Zealand was called to account for a story about Wellington semifinalist Filipo Saipani, 18.
Holmes featured the performance which this week earned Saipani a place in the top 10.
The Herald understands that it is against the rules to broadcast any NZ Idol footage outside the show because it could give an unfair advantage to the contestant featured.
The performance was aired in an item about a campaign being run by Saipani's family to get people to vote the teenager into the finals.
The Herald understands executives from TVNZ and NZ Idol makers South Pacific Pictures went into crisis mode but decided to allow Saipani to stay because he did not initiate the publicity.
Paul Holmes said last night that the show had not breached any rules but confirmed there was discussion about whether it had.
A spokeswoman for South Pacific Pictures would say only that Saipani was still in the show.
South Pacific Pictures managing director John Barnett said he had not heard of any contestants "going or staying, changes or anything", and did not see the Holmes show.
Saipani was a surprise choice in the first public vote to choose three contestants to go on to the semifinals.
The judges had picked Christchurch's Nigel Withington over Saipani when asked to choose who deserved the coveted spot.
But public voting put Saipani, Camillia Temple and Ben Lummis through to the next round.
Fans writing on a website dedicated to the show yesterday debated whether Saipani gained an advantage from Holmes coverage.
"Filipo should be disqualified by the judges, with the next highest-polling person from the first group of eight put through in that place ... this is Nigel," wrote "Idol fan from Christchurch" yesterday.
Others supported the family initiative as "completely fair".
South Pacific Pictures and TVNZ have refused to release voting numbers, which on Monday determined who went through to the next round.
TVNZ's general manager of commissioning and production, Tony Holden, told the Herald this week that the international rules for the Idol format meant all voting information had to be kept confidential.
But the same information for all shows in Britain, Australia and elsewhere was made public.
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