Galveston got a big boost of publicity last week when ratings juggernaut American Idol aired the round of auditions shot at Galveston Island Convention Center.

Shots of thousands of hopefuls lined up at Reliant Stadium in Houston were interspersed with scenes of judges Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson sitting in front of a bank of windows looking out on a calm, teal Gulf of Mexico.

Shots of Houston’s skyline were mingled with cows grazing at Johnson Space Center and time-lapse sunsets on the Moody Gardens pyramids.

But whenever contestants got the "golden ticket" that ushered them onto the next round of the singing competition, they whooped it up with a dash onto the beach and into the water.

That kind of exposure — almost 17 million people tuned in — is huge for Galveston, said Leah Cast, Galveston Island Convention and Visitors Bureau public relations manager.

"People don’t realize how far the island has come after Hurricane Ike," Cast said.

The last time Galveston was in the national spotlight, debris littered the seawall and floodwaters were just receding.

Now, "people are talking about how great the island looked," Cast said.

Given how the episode was edited, it’s easy to see how out-of-state viewers could be left with the impression that Galveston was somehow part of Houston. But Cast doesn’t think that’s the case.

"It may not be a bad thing necessarily to be associated with Houston," Cast said. "Regionally, we are very close. If anyone is planning a trip to Houston, they see that the beach is just a short drive away."

While "Idol" might be one of the biggest shots in the arm for local tourism, Cast said the CVB actively goes after other shows and touts the benefits of filming here. Cast said the Travel Channel was here in October shooting a piece about ghost stories and legends, and TLC was here recently shooting "The Little Couple" in The Hotel Galvez. Contestants from shows like "Idol" and "The Voice" have been playing at island festivals and events, and Cast said this exposure very well could lead to more of that.

And now, back to our show.

There wasn’t much local talent on display in the "Idol" auditions, but Linda Williams, billed as a 24-year-old bartender from League City, made it through to the Hollywood round — although not without some (probably drummed up for the sake of TV drama) controversy.



The piece of her audition to Alicia Keys’ "Fallin’" that aired was as short as her skirt. So it’s difficult to gauge whether she was really any good. Tyler and Jackson sang her praises, though, while Jennifer Lopez called her "awful." It was the straw that broke J.Lo’s back after she’d been disagreeing with the guys on almost every other contestant.

So, what do you think? Was the show good exposure for Galveston? Will you cheer on local favorite Linda when the Hollywood round starts? On what other TV shows would you like to see the area featured?