Theories flew fast and furious after the "American Idol" viewer vote went against favorite Jennifer Hudson, ranging from racism to fateful weather to teenage puppy love.

Or maybe America just has a tin ear.

While Hudson and two other singers lavishly praised by the show's judges ended up at the bottom of the heap, contestants who gave marginal performances were top vote-getters.

Hudson, Fantasia Barrino and La Toya London -- "The Three Divas," as they've become known -- seemed to have the best shot at taking the Fox TV contest. But they were less popular than their competition, including redheaded crooner John Stevens, a 16-year-old whose highest compliment from the judges was that he was a nice guy.

With the lowest vote tally, Hudson was bumped from the show. Even series host Ryan Seacrest chastised viewers.

"America, don't forget you have to vote for the talent. You have to keep your favorites in the competition. You cannot let talent like this slip through the cracks," he said after results were announced Wednesday.

Series judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul play an advisory role after helping winnow down the field of 70,000 applicants to 32 semifinalists and then, with viewers, to 12 finalists. The audience takes charge from there until the winner is picked.

Hudson, appearing Thursday on Seacrest's talk show -- Fox's "On-Air With Ryan Seacrest" -- said it was the public outcry, more than the vote, that shocked her. "I didn't realize the impact that I had," she said.

A storm that caused a power outage in the Midwest may have been a factor in Hudson's ouster, TV entertainment newsmagazine "Extra" reported.

More than 15,000 people in Hudson's hometown of Chicago were unable to watch the show or dial in Tuesday night, when the vote turned out to be the closest in the show's three-year history, "Extra" said.

Jackson, who said losing Hudson was "nuts," told "Extra" he thought the outage could have been a problem, but it wasn't enough to alter the outcome. Fox didn't release the viewer vote count this week, but about 24 million votes were recorded last week.

Others offered more cynical assessments.

The New York Post reported it was deluged with calls complaining that the voting was racially motivated: Hudson, Barrino and London are black. (The Post is owned by News Corp., which also owns Fox TV.)

George Huff, still in the competition, is black, as was last year's winner, Ruben Studdard. "American Idol," unlike other reality shows featuring competition, is more popular in black homes than white homes.

For the current season, the show was watched in 19 percent of all black households, compared to 15 percent of white households, according to Nielsen Media Research.

(Lynn Elber, Associated Press)

Fox renewals

This week Fox announced renewals for "The Bernie Mac Show," "Malcolm in the Middle," "The O.C." and "24" for the 2004-05 TV season.

(Rob Owen, Post-Gazette TV editor)

Local student winners

The Mid-Atlantic chapter of the National Television Academy has awarded two local students first and second place in the Young Producer's Award competition.

Jonathan Jirak, a senior at Carlynton High School in Carnegie, won the $4,000 top prize for his storyboard concept for a 30-second public service announcement. He'll also have the opportunity to work with a local TV station this summer to produce his PSA, which will be offered to stations for broadcast throughout Pennsylvania.

First runner-up Katie Francart, a senior at Valley High School in New Kensington, won $2,000 for her entry.

(R.O.)

Channel surfing

Dave Price, weatherman on CBS's "The Early Show," was at Minadeo Elementary in Squirrel Hill Tuesday filming segments with third- and fourth-graders for a Mother's Day report that's expected to air May 3. ... Former WTAE reporter Whitney Drolen, who left the station last month to return to her native California, will begin doing freelance work for "E! News Live" next week. ... Weather Channel's "Forecast Earth" features the 1889 Johnstown flood today at 5 p.m. ... WQED's cooking marathon, "Quick and Easy," will be broadcast today at 10 a.m. and will be taped for national distribution to PBS stations in August.

(R.O.)

More channel surfing

"My Journey Home," airing tomorrow at 5 p.m. on WQED, follows four people as they travel to their ancestral homelands, including Pittsburgh resident Faith Adiele, who travels to Nigeria. ... Jon Delano will host "KDKA Political Watch," a half-hour special airing Monday at 7:30 p.m. ... Local polio survivors will be interviewed Monday on WQED's "On Q" (7:30 p.m.) and the station will air "A Fight to the Finish: Stories of Polio" at 9 p.m. that same night, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of testing of Dr. Jonas Salk's vaccine. ... Local writer/producer George Steitz and his Pittsburgh-based production crew visited Oregon, Maine and Florida for "Haunted Lighthouses of America," airing Monday at 9 p.m. on Travel Channel.

(R.O.)