Sony Entertainment Television’s Indian Idol has been one of the most successful music based reality shows ever seen on television in recent times. Integrating HIV & A
IDS messages was a particularly challenging task
given the format. It began with Richard Gere personally meeting the 10 final contestants (who had become youth icons in the country by then) and inspiring them to join the HIV & AIDS movement. They promised their commitment by first visiting a care home for HIV positive children and then singing an anthem on the grand finale day. On March 5th 2005, 5.3 million viewers tuned into the final show and watched their Idols perform the song ‘Ek Jahaan’, the original score of which was donated by Lionel Richie and recreated in India. Formal research showed that most audiences recalled the HIV& AIDS messages and would have liked more information, although this not necessarily in the same format.
