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Jackson out. Randy Jackson, the lone original "American Idol" judge, says he won't be returning to the Fox talent competition. "To put all of the speculation to the rest, after 12 years of judging on `American Idol,' I have decided to leave after this season," Jackson said in a statement Thursday. "I am very proud of how we forever changed television and the music industry."

Epic Records chairman L.A. Reid will not be returning for season three of  “The X Factor,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. The reality-TV judge is quitting the Fox talent show to focus more on developing new and signed musicians.

The season's second episode of "So You Think You Can Dance" was up from last Thursday's premiere and gave FOX a huge advantage in young viewers and a slim lead overall on Wednesday night.

Thursday was a big day at Fox. In the morning, the network got word from Nielsen that — after Wednesday night’s Top 5 performance show — “American Idol” had regained its throne as the No. 1-rated entertainment series among younger viewers, who are the currency of broadcast TV ad sales. To accomplish that, “Idol” had to edge past NBC’s singing competition, “The Voice.”

Jermaine Jones is apparently out on "American Idol." The 25-year-old vocal instructor from Pine Hill, N.J., tweeted Tuesday night that he would no longer be on the Fox singing contest. He wrote on his official "Idol" Twitter account: "Ahttp://www I will no longer b on the show," but the post was later deleted.

By the time the second season premiere of “The Voice” starts after the Super Bowl, we’re well-acquainted with the four judges, thanks to many ads during the big game. Plus, Blake Shelton sang “America the Beautiful” with his wife, Miranda Lambert, before kickoff.

American TV bosses have confirmed Cheryl Cole will no longer be a judge on the US version of X Factor.

Fox carried over its winning ways and ratings gains from the American Idol finale on Wednesday to the season premiere of So You Think You Can Dance on Thursday. The two-hour opener (3.2/10 in 18-49, 9.1 million viewers) was up 7% in 18-49 and 11% in viewers from last summer's premiere. It was the most watched SYTYCD premiere in 4 years and highest rated in 3 years.

Fox announced Sunday that former "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul is joining her former co-panelist Simon Cowell on his new singing competition "The X Factor." Abdul will be the fourth judge, alongside Cheryl Cole and L.A. Reid.

The new crew looks like it will do two things: have more fun than the group did a year ago, and keep the Fox lawyers up at night worrying that Steven Tyler will do something that gets the network sued.