Philippine Idol auditions at SM Sta Mesa cancelled, angers hundreds

A May 27 Philippine Idol fast-track audition at SM Sta. Mesa was cancelled, angering hundreds of hopefuls who trooped to the shopping mall yesterday, according to a report filed on Inq7.net.

More than 200 Philippine Idol hopefuls showed up to audition at the Philippine Idol fast-track audition at SM Sta. Mesa for the ABC-5 reality show, a franchise of the popular Fremantle Media/19 Entertainment-owned and -operated American Idol.

According to SM Sta. Mesa's marketing personnel, ABC 5 canceled the Philippine Idol fast-track audition at SM Sta. Mesa last Wednesday, but information was apparently not disseminated on television. Cancellation information was aired only last week on radio stations 101.1 Yes FM and 90.7 Love Radio and in a print advertisement in the Inquirer’s May 26 issue. Readers of every other Manila newspaper, listeners of every other Manila radio station, and viewers of ABC-5 per se were apparently not in the know.

Both Philippine Idol fast-track hopefuls and SM Sta. Mesa were frustrated with the organizers of Philippine Idol.

Philippine Idol representative Perci Intalan, vice president for Creative and Entertainment Production of ABC 5, told the Inquirer in the Inq7 article that they found the venue “too small.” He quickly added that no one was to blame, but noted fast-track screenings were handled by Manila Broadcasting Corp., ABC 5’s media partner for “Philippine Idol.”

A representative from ABC-5 later on arrived to assuage the disgruntled applicants, assuring them of slots at the next fast-track screenings, to be held on May 30 at SM Valenzuela, on June 1 at SM Manila and June 2 at SM San Lazaro.