FOX Announces American Idol Season 6 Premiere January 17th  11/6/06

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT AMERICAN IDOL? TELEVISION’S NO. 1 SHOW RETURNS FOR ITS SIXTH SEASON WITH A TWO-NIGHT, FOUR-HOUR SEASON PREMIERE TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, AND WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, ON FOX

Tune In for the Good, the Bad and the Outrageous AMERICAN IDOL Auditions from Across the Country

Television’s biggest event, AMERICAN IDOL, returns for its sixth season with more talented singers than ever before and more of the outrageous auditions that have everyone talking in a special two-night, four-hour season premiere Tuesday, Jan. 16 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Wednesday, Jan. 17 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Starting Jan. 23 and Jan. 24, the audition shows will air in their regular time periods, Tuesdays (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) and Wednesdays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

The search for the next superstar began last summer, as AMERICAN IDOL traveled to Los Angeles, San Antonio, Birmingham, Memphis, Minneapolis, New York City and Seattle. Over 100,000 people turned up at the auditions for Season Six of AMERICAN IDOL.

Host Ryan Seacrest is back, and judges Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson return to lend their professional expertise, personal comments and sometimes tough criticism to a new crop of aspiring singers. Some will get the judges’ approval and others will hear the cold, hard truth! Guest judges Olivia Newton John, Carol Bayer Sager and Jewel also joined the road trip this season. Find out what these celebrity judges had to say about the talent around the country and who gets the “gold ticket” to Hollywood.

Episodes featuring audition cities will air on three consecutive Tuesdays, Jan. 16, Jan. 23 and Jan. 30, and three Wednesdays, Jan. 17, Jan. 24 and Jan. 31. The lucky few who got past the judges in the audition cities will be highlighted in the semifinal round, which will air on Tuesdays, Feb. 6 and 13 and Wednesdays, Feb. 7 and 14.

Last year’s phenomenal, record-setting season culminated in the crowning of Taylor Hicks as the fifth American Idol. Hicks joined previous winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia and Carrie Underwood as holders of the coveted title. In total, AMERICAN IDOL artists have sold 10 million singles and 23 million albums since the show first aired in 2002. Now the stage is set to turn a sixth singer’s dream into reality.

Twenty-two-time Emmy-nominated AMERICAN IDOL is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, founder of 19 Entertainment; and executive-produced by Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.; Nigel Lythgoe, President, 19 Television; and Ken Warwick, Executive Producer, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.

-FOX-