Mariah is the new Idol judge

Guys, it's official! Mariah Carey joins the American Idol judging panel.

A week ago, I have created a poll about

who should be the next American Idol judge...

Well,  I can definitely say that the Idols Execs.

have made their choice on one slot...

Now , who will fill the 3-judge panel?

Continue voting on my poll on top of this page.

*Whole story after jump

Bill Keveney of USA TODAY said in his article,

American Idol isn't giving up its diva power, with Mariah Carey landing as a judge as Jennifer Lopez departs.

Carey will join the judging panel for Season 12, Fox programming chief Kevin Reilly said Monday, confirming a deal with the pop and R&B star to a national gathering of television critics.

Carey, speaking to the group briefly by speakerphone, welcomed the new assignment. "I am so excited to be joining Idol," she said. "I can't wait to get started."

Idol host Ryan Seacrest was among the first celebrities to tweet a shout-out: "Welcome to the fam @MariahCarey!! When u and @nickcannon need a date night, I'm happy to strap on the double baby bjorn." And Idol Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks expressed her excitement via Twitter as well: "I can't wait to watch @mariahcarey as a judge!! I LOVE her!!"

"I think she's going to find it difficult to say no" to contestants, former Idol and current X Factor judge Simon Cowell said later during a television critics' panel for his show. "She's sweet."

Carey's arrival mark the latest overhaul of the Idol judging panel. Reilly said he is "100% certain" Lopez won't be back, while Steven Tyler, who joined the judging panel with Lopez in Season 10, has already announced his departure. The show made certain Lopez wouldn't be back before moving forward with Carey, Reilly said.

"They're very, very different personalities," he said of the two women.

The addition of Carey continues the genre's pursuit of big-name stars to attract viewers. In addition to Carey on Idol, Christina Aguilera is a coach on NBC's The Voice and Britney Spears will be a new judge and mentor on Fox's The X Factor.

Reilly wouldn't confirm any other members of the Idol judging panel, which currently also includes Randy Jackson, saying the show's structure now consists of "so many moving parts." Other judges could be announced as early as the coming week.

Idol suffered a 23% fall in ratings last season and is no longer the only singing game in town, with the presence of X Factor and The Voice. Both of those shows will be on in the fall, with Idol returning in winter.

With the declining ratings, "they had to do something," said David Scardino, entertainment specialist at advertising agency RPA. "Even had all the judges re-upped, the losses were to such an extent that they would have had to make some big changes. Their feeling, I think, is a big part of the show is the judges. That's one thing they can control."

Big names should draw viewers initially, but their performance and chemistry with others will determine whether or not the audience will stay, Scardino said. And the singers remain the real draw. "If you have talent that's less compelling and competition that's less than thrilling, you can pick anybody to be a judge and it will not make a huge difference," he said.

Richard Rushfield, author of American Idol: The Untold Story, also isn't convinced Carey will make a big difference. "Idol needs a game-changer, and this is swapping six of one for half-dozen of the other, albeit one with unimpeachable vocal skills. Coming right on the heels of X Factor with Britney (Spears), how exciting is the gimmick of a big fading star sitting at the desk still going to be?"

Reilly said that judges could come and go on Idol more frequently than in the past. "I think change is going to be a part of the show going forward. We're 12 years old. I think we've got to keep it fresh."

However, he said that Idol's focus remains on the singers, and that it wouldn't make radical changes in its format. The show has produced such platinum-selling artists as Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood.

The network also announced additions to Idol's audition process. Family and friends will be able to nominate potential contestants without their knowledge, submitting videos or websites that feature them performing. Successful candidates will be surprised by a film crew.

And the "American Idol Small Town Audition Bus Tour," a 10-town mobile recruitment effort, will begin in August, stopping at Idaho Falls, Idaho; Billings, Mont.; Casper, Wyo.; Rock Rapids and Iowa City, Iowa; Bowling Green, Ky.; Clarksdale, Miss.; Joplin, Mo.; Dodge City, Kan.; and Grand Junction, Colo.

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