American Idol is an American reality TV show airing on Fox. It debuted on June 11, 2002, and has since become one of the most popular shows on American television. The program seeks to discover the best singer in the country through a series of nationwide auditions. The American public decides the outcomes of the later stages through phone voting. The judges give critiques of the contestants' performances: Randy Jackson; Paula Abdul; Simon Cowell; Kara DioGuardi. The format originally featured three judges, with Kara DioGuardi added in season 8.