AT&T's 'American Idol' SMS Decried As Spam

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posted Jan 14, 2009, 2:15 PM   by Eric M. Zeman

AT&T recently sent an SMS message promoting the television debut of American Idol's most recent season to a 'significant' number of its 75 million subscribers, including those who've voted in past seasons and others described as "heavy texters." The SMS advertisement urged subscribers to tune into the broadcast and also pointed users to a Web site where they could find more details. It also told subscribers how to unsubscribe from receiving such messages. Customers quickly complained about the message and its content, calling it unsolicited spam. AT&T spokesperson Mark Siegel said, "We want people to watch the show and participate. It makes perfect sense to use texting to tell people about a show built on texting." AT&T is a major sponsor of the show.

more info at New York Times »

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