Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of FremantleMedia North America and Executive Producer of American Idol, answered questions about Idol Gives Back on a recent press call. As you know, Idol Gives Back will air as part of a two hour American Idol results show on Wednesday, April 21st starting at 8/7c.

Due to the hard economic times Americans (and the world) have been faced with recently, Cecile talked about the slightly different approach Idol Gives Back will take this year. “We did incredibly well both times. We raised a lot of money and we’re hoping, obviously, that we do incredibly well this year,” Cecile said, “but we’re very aware at this time that the circumstances are very different than when we first started doing this…[the event will be] much more low key, whatever people will donate will be great.”

A larger percent of the donations will help America this year. Cecile explains, “Historically, we’ve done 50% to Africa and 50% to domestic charities. This year, we’re a little bit more weighted toward domestic causes because we feel it is an American show. We’re in the U.S. It’s a very, very tough couple of years in this country and that it’s only fair that we focus on U.S. causes as well as some big international causes. IGB is targeting primarily kids, poverty, and health, which are really the issues that we’ve looked at and from the beginning when we set it up.”

Will Idol Gives Back be held every two years or annually? Although nothing has been set in stone, Cecile explained, “Our feeling is that every two years is about right…to make sure that when we do it, we do raise significant funds. And I think by doing it every year, you might diminish the impact of it.”

Speaking of the impact of Idol Gives Back, it’s a very emotional show. “That’s the goal,” Cecile stated. “I think the emotional impact comes both from the performers singing fantastic inspirational songs. And remember, the [finalists will] also be singing inspirational songs on Tuesday on the performance show….The appeal films that we’ve shot have been done both by former Idols, our cast members, and other celebrities who have gone to Africa or who have gone to really a poor part of this country. Those films are incredibly powerful, and they raise awareness of some of these causes. Until you actually go there and you see celebrities going to these places, you don’t always realize what’s out there, even in this country in terms of poverty.”

The Idol Gives Back event will be held in two different venues to help reduce set-up times during the live show between bands, and it also feels more like an event to have a second venue that we can cut to. You can attend the event in Pasadena, CA. To purchase tickets, click here.