AMERICAN IDOL Season 12 Premieres to Poor Ratings

According to preliminary rating's reports, the premiere of the 12th season of FOX's American Idol earned a 6.0, down 19% from last year's 7.4 among adults 18-49. The premiere rating is the lowest since the first season of the show, which aired in the summer.

AMERICAN IDOL has been the No. 1 entertainment program among Total Viewers for the past nine consecutive seasons. To date, IDOL alums have produced 349 No. 1 Billboard hits and garnered nearly 250 million iTunes downloads. Last year, Season 10 winner Scotty McCreery released his debut album, "Clear As Day," which dominated the Billboard Country Albums chart and has gone platinum, selling more than one million copies. Season 11 winner Phillip Phillips' first single, "Home," which was released May 23, has been certified platinum.

Past winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee Dewyze, Scotty McCreery and Phillip Phillips, as well as fan-favorites Jennifer Hudson, Adam Lambert, Chris Daughtry and Jessica Sanchez, have all become household names and made their marks on the recording industry.

AMERICAN IDOL is produced by 19 Entertainment, a division of Core Media Group, and FremantleMedia North America, Inc. The series is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, CEO, XIX Entertainment, and executive-produced by Trish Kinane, President of Entertainment, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.; Ken Warwick, Executive Producer, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.; and Nigel Lythgoe, CEO, Nigel Lythgoe Productions.

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