"American Idol" finale ratings hit all-time low

Ratings for the "American Idol" finaleplunged to a record low for the 12-year-old show.

According to preliminary Nielsen Co. figures Friday, Candice Glover's victory over Kree Harrison was watched by 14.2 million viewers. That's a 34 percent drop from the year before, when nearly 22 million viewers saw Phillip Phillips claim the "Idol" crown. That represented the show's previous record low finale audience.

Among advertiser-coveted young adults, "American Idol" saw an even steeper 42 percent drop for Thursday's season 12 finale.

The finale also served as a departure for judge Randy Jackson, who announced his exit from the series last week. Jackson had been with "American Idol" since its debut in 2002, and was the last original judge to leave the series.

The lack of interest in the winner of this year's contest parallels the show's declining ratings for the season. Fox is scrambling to revive the singing contest that once dominated TV, revamping the judges' panel and making yet-to-be detailed format changes.