SBC Reports a 63% Increase in California Calls for American Idol

SBC processed close to 41.3 million phone calls in a span of just two hours by its California and Northern Nevada customers - many of whom were participating in the semi-finals voting for Fox's hit reality TV show, American Idol. SBC estimates that about 16 million of these calls were for voting on the TV show because on a typical weekday evening about 25.3 million calls are placed in that same two hour period from 9pm to 11pm. American Idol provides a toll-free number for viewers to vote on their favorite singer. Nationally, SBC processed close to 213 million phone calls during last Tuesday's two-hour span, compared to just over 160 million calls on a typical weekday evening. SBC warns that a huge surge in phone voting after the final episode on Tuesday, 19-May-03, could overwhelm the network and cause some callers to experience a "fast busy" signal.
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