LOS ANGELES — “American Idol” sponsor AT&T says a few overeager company employees helped Arkansas fans vote by text at viewing parties — but didn’t influence the final results.

Kris Allen of Conway, Ark., ended up winning the “Idol” title last week over Adam Lambert, who’d been cast as the frontrunner by the show’s judges.
AT&T said that in the future the company will ensure employees understand that its sponsorship “celebrates the competition, not individual contestants.”
In a separate statement, Fox and the show’s producers said they are certain the results are “fair, accurate and verified” and that the integrity of the voting process was protected against unfair influence.