Details of the 2009 series of 'American Idol' have been announced in the US.
Reuters reports that the new series will devote less time to the early auditions and focus more on the 12 finalists.
The new series marks the debut of a fourth judge, singer and producer Kara DioGuardi, who joins Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul.
In a telephone press conference, the show's executive producer Ken Warwick dismissed speculation that DioGuardi was a potential replacement for Abdul.
He said: "There has never been any discussion that we would want to get rid of Paula... America loves Paula. She is an integral part of this programme. She keeps Simon well under control. She is worth her weight in gold."
For the 2009 series the 'wild card' segment will return with Warwick saying that producers had made some changes to the upcoming series to "make it more interesting".
The new series of 'American Idol' will begin on US television on Tuesday 13 January.
