Simon Cowell has recently announced a major change for the televised musical talent competition, ‘X Factor.’ Cowell confirmed that fans of the show will soon be able to vote for their favorite contestants using social networking sites Facebook and Twitter.
“It’s a sign of the times,” Cowell said, noting that the decision will ultimately give at-home audience viewer’s a “much bigger voice.”
Fans will be able to send message’s to the show’s official Twitter and Facebook accounts, voicing their vote. ‘American Idol’ has already engaged the Internet to bring in more votes, even allowing as many as 50 votes per season from a single computer. Cowell has hopes that ‘X Factor’ will see similar success.
Online voting will have offer those who cannot access a phone line the ability to cast their vote. Online voting also means that fans who are unable to patch through on the phone line or may be working during hours that the phone polls are open will soon have a voice.
The true impact of online voting for ‘X Factor’ remains to be seen, but one must wonder how accurate votes may be. A disappointed fan or a bored troll is unlikely to spend a great deal of time to reach through on the phone, but online voting offers a quick and easily solution for voting.
Will it turn out that some people are casting votes online without even actually watching the show?
