"For the most part, we have always had some original amateur hour," Mr. Simon said. "It has always been a viable format for Americans. It's just a matter of adapting it for the times. `American Idol' just brought the reality TV element to it."

America was transfixed on the three-month run of "American Idol," a cross between "Star Search" and "Survivor." Last month's two-hour finale on the Fox Network attracted nearly 23 million viewers, who voted for their favorite artists. Ms. Clarkson and another contestant, Justin Guarini, vied for the title. Ms. Clarkson walked away with a recording contract from RCA Records, a unit of BMG, the music division of Bertelsmann. An album featuring the show's 10 finalists leads the charts as the No. 4 selling album at 146,000 copies, according to Soundscan.

Ms. Clarkson's own album is not scheduled for release until early next year, said Richard Sanders, executive vice president and general manager of RCA Records.

To keep Ms. Clarkson fresh in the ears of listeners, RCA will put out a new single before the album's release next year and she is on tour, Mr. Sanders said.

But Ms. Clarkson shows no signs of fading. Her music video pops up frequently on MTV and is one of the most downloaded on AOL, people in the music industry say. It is also one of the most requested videos on TRL, a popular show on MTV.

Ms. Clarkson is managed by a company called 19 Management, which is owned by Simon Fuller, the man who created the show in England. Mr. Sanders said that Ms. Clarkson, RCA and her label, 19 Recordings, the production unit of 19 Management, would receive proceeds from the sale of her albums and singles. Mr. Sanders said that Fox, which is owned by the News Corporation, would not receive proceeds from album sales. But Fox will share in the money generated by the fame of individual performers. Ms. Clarkson is working on a Fox movie with Mr. Guarini.

The new season of "American Idol" begins in January. Kelly's recording success is the net result of a lengthy marketing process, the TV show, which was a product itself. With the novelty factor gone, can AI2 again interest America in marketing process?

More recent Idol news here.