ST. JOHN'S, N.L. -- Newfoundland's popular call-in shows were abuzz yesterday with allegations that Canadian Idol was fixed and unfair to Craig Sharpe after their native son lost the top prize on the televised singing contest.

The kind of vitriol normally reserved for politicians or the fisheries hit the airwaves almost instantly after the show concluded Sunday night with the win by 19-year-old Quebecer Eva Avila.

The verbal barrage continued yesterday, dominating other topics such as Canada's role in Afghanistan and the province's 15% unemployment rate.

"The voting is as rigged as anything has ever been," said Randy Simms, host of VOCM's Open Line.

"That you're allowed to get on the telephone ... and you can make it 200 votes, 300 votes, well then you know that the voting system, like I said, it's anti-democracy. It's get out there and stuff that ballot box," Simms said.


"But we shouldn't forget that it's a TV show."

That didn't calm callers fuming outrage and conspiracy theories.

"I think that they didn't pick him because he's a Newfoundlander," said a first-time caller identifying himself as Bill.

"I'm not knocking Quebec, but if he had been up against any other contestant other than a Quebec contestant, I really do believe that he would've had this hands down," added Emma.

As Sharpe moved closer to the finals, residents throughout the province increasingly complained of jammed residential phone lines -- so much that a payphone "Vote Craig" campaign was launched. In recent weeks Sharpe supporters drove at night looking for available payphones.