Video Beat EXTRA EXTRA - AMERICAN IDOL CUTS HERNANDEZ - Stacie Orrico Performs in Phnom Penh - MARCH 2008

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

After competing with thousands of singers who auditioned for American Idol finishing in the Top 12 is good news, finishing 12th is the bad news for David Hernandez - MORE MYSTERY LOOMS OVER FRESHIE CONTEST - STACIE ORRICO WOWS CAPACITY CROWD IN PHNOM PENH - NBA ON TV - Recommended TV Listings

Sunday March 16, 2008

AMERICAN IDOL OFF TO A ROUGH START

After competing with thousands of singer who auditioned for American Idol finishing in the Top 12 is good news. Finishing 12th is the bad news for David Hernandez as America voted and he was eliminated this past week resulting in American Idol is now down to its final 11. For Hernandez it was a result of a shaky performance of the Beatles (Beatles songs were the theme for the night) hit 'I Saw Her Standing There.' He was the eighth to perform that night and it appeared he had too much time to think about what he was going to do as he rushed through the song while his nervousness showed through.

It was nervous night for several other contestants as well. Syesha Mercado started things off singing 'Got To Get You Into My Life.' She did a good job and Simon Cowell said, "You were much better than you were last week, a great choice of song." Randy Jackson said, "It was all right for me." Paula Abdul said, "You sounded great from the midway point to the end." The mixed reviews didn't help Mercado's chances as she was the first to be called for elimination the following day on the Results Show.

Two of the competitions strongest performers David Archuleta and Ramiele Malubay had mixed results. Archuleta committed the cardinal sin of forgetting the lyrics to which Abdul called to his attention in her critique by saying that he should never show by his expression that he made a mistake. Simon said his performance was "All over the place," and Randy said his performance was "Not on point" and noting that the song was not his vibe.

The 18-year-old Archuleta showed he was nervous as he went on last and was performing the Beatles 'We Can Work It Out' on American Idol's expanded and much larger new stage and set. The reality was Cowell was right as Archuleta chose a song that he was not familiar with nor didn't feel the soul of the lyric as he was thinking too much and felling too little.

Malubay sang 'In My Life' that was a safe choice but not indicative of her talent as Cowell noted that, "You're better than that. I was bored to tears through that song. I expect better than that from you."

Oh my the cookies started to crumble for several of the contestants who the judges and host Ryan Seacrest tout as being the best of all American Idol talents. Archuleta and Malubay survived the cut as they weren't called for elimination. The other spot in the bottom was filled by Kristy Lee Cook who has been under Cowell's microscope of criticism.

After Mercado was the first called she waited almost three quarters of an hour before Seacrest said she was the first to be safe. Cook was next and Hernandez joined the rest of those in the American Idol eliminated heaven. He took his loss in good stride in a good-natured way gave compliments to his competitors. It wasn't his day but he told the world that he wasn't finished and he would pursue his quest to get to the top of the entertainment business.

Regardless of the hype that this is American Idol's best ever it fails to show up in the performances. Whatever the powers that be see in this group that warrants such praise has yet to be seen.

Note: Since starting the final 12 the show airs only two days a week Wednesday and Thursday in the Asian region and Tuesday and Wednesday in America.

MORE MYSTERY LOOMS OVER FRESHIE CONTEST

More mystery surrounds Cambodia's Freshie Girl & Boy contest regarding what will become of the Rising Star winner who was supposed to receive a recording contract with CMM records. Since the choice of four nominees (2 girls and 2 boys) were made CMM's CEO Glenn LaSalle has left the company as well as his 2nd and 3rd in command.

LaSalle who is Thai and formerly associated with the renown Grammy Records in Thailand said that a Cambodian was now in charge of the company. The company was formed in partnership with Grammy Thailand and Cambodian investors.

On the surface it appears that this is a lose, lose situation for the Freshie winner to be announced March 31 during the contest final scheduled to be televised on Cambodia's TV 5. Will the new company heads employ the plans of the previous regime?

Since that time LaSalle has formed a company The Artist Connection with his partner Reginald Xavier who was also involved with CMM. The duo was involved in the production of the hugely successful Stacie Orrico concert in Phnom Penh yesterday Saturday March 15th. Stay tuned....

NOTE:

Freshie organizers wanted to make the point that they did have an offer to supply SMS voting for the contest but they did not agree on terms.

STACIE ORRICO WOWS CAPACITY CROWD IN PHNOM PENH

In what was billed as the Super Concert featuring internationally known recording Stacie Orrico the event turned out to be just that as over 50,000 people packed into Phnom Penh Cambodia's Olympic Stadium. Every seat that had a viewpoint of the stage was taken excluding those behind it in the 60,000 seat venue. The event was FREE to the public.

Orrico's 60 minute set was flawless as she sang long with the recorded tracks from her records that included her hits "Stuck" and "More to Life." She also played acoustic piano and sang more of her recordings. That change of pace enhanced the show.

The event was televised on Bayon television. . The show was a success in both exposures as it was on time and moved along briskly without a hitch. The televised portion was flawless with the director calling timely shots similar to those of Western standards.

By far this is the most spectacular event I've ever seen in Cambodia and it was difficult to believe that this was done in a country not known for being up to speed in what's going on in the real world. Much of the production credit goes to foreign organizations.

The event was largely created to promote a new Norwegian owned cell phone service company QB (CADCOMM) in partnership with Sony Ericsson, Nokia and MTV. A laser show was involved in the production that according to producer Glenn LaSalle was from Norway.

There were two Khmer opening acts to Orrico Khemarak Sarey Mon and Yuk Titratha backed respectively by the U2 and Coconut bands.

Yuk Titratha was a pleasant surprise. She is one of a very few Khmer singers that has a pleasant voice in a world where most Khmer singers squeak and squeal through their performances while singing incorrectly from their throat and nose. Titratha's song Pleurng was the highlight of her four song appearance.

Everything didn't go as planned. The audience was assigned to sit in the stands and not permitted to walk on the football pitch that was being preserved for a game the following day. That plan dissolved when near the end of the show fans poured on to the pitch and swarmed the stage with some jumping on it. It was held under control as organizers pleaded with them to get off the stage which some didn't and keep under control which they did. The final result being that this was easily one of the biggest nights in Cambodian entertainment history.

NBA GAMES ON TV

NBA (National Basketball Association) games are televised in the Southeast Asia region on the Star Sports television Network on Friday and ESPN Saturday's. Start times vary depending on the start time in the region of the USA from where the games is televised.

TV SCHEDULE

Note: The shows listed are for the Cambodia - Thailand time zone. Check your local listings for time and date in your area.

MONDAY

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

6:00 PM - TOP MODEL CYCLE 9 - Channel V - NEW EPISODE

10:00 PM - TOP MODEL CYCLE 9 - Channel V

TUESDAY

7:00 AM - TOP MODEL - CYCLE 9 - Channel V

11:00 AM - TOP MODEL - CYCLE 9 - Channel V

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

WEDNESDAY

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

5:00 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World

7:00 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - repeat of 5 PM telecast

8:00 PM - CONTENDER ASIA - AXN - NEW EPISODE

10:30 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - repeat of 5/7 PM telecast

11:00 PM - CONTENDER ASIA - AXN - repeat of 8 PM telecast

THURSDAY

11:00 AM - CONTENDER ASIA - AXN

12 NOON - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - repeat of previous day

5:00 PM - AMERICAN IDOL ELIMINATION SHOW - Star World

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

7:00 PM - AMERICAN IDOL ELIMINATION SHOW - Star World - repeat of 5 PM telecast

10:30 PM - AMERICAN IDOL ELIMINATION SHOW - Star World - repeat of 5/7 PM telecast

FRIDAY

??:?? AM - NBA GAME - Star Sports

12 NOON - AMERICAN IDOL ELIMINATION SHOW - Star World - repeat of previous day

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

9:00 PM - NBA GAME - Star Sports - Replay of earlier game)

SATURDAY

7:30 AM - CONTENDER ASIA - AXN

??:?? AM - NBA GAME - ESPN

5:00 PM - CONTENDER ASIA - AXN

7:30 PM - HI NET WORTH - (financial magazine show) - CNBC

9:00 PM - JAY LENO - CNBC

12:00 AM - CONTENDER ASIA - AXN

SUNDAY

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

9:00 PM - JAY LENO - CNBC

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