Kara DioGuardi will join the familiar trio of Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson when “American Idol” begins its eighth season Tuesday night on the FOX network. Appearing live on TODAY Monday, the New Rochelle, N.Y., native told Matt Lauer she will only prick the balloon of an aspiring singer’s dreams if it is warranted.

In addition to a slew of new contestants, the show's new judge Kara DioGuardi is adjusting to life on the hit talent competition. "It took a minute to be yourself and also find a place in the show where you weren't at all detracting from the people around you or inhibiting them in any way," DioGuardi said in a conference call with reporters Thursday. "It's something I'm still working on. I think I'm there."

DioGuardi was faced with controversy right out of the box when it was announced she had been added as a fourth judge for “American Idol” back in August. Abdul seemed to have been blindsided by the move, saying she was “concerned about the audience and their acceptance of the changes.”

DioGuardi is the writer of songs such as Christina Aguilera’s “Ain’t No Other Man, season 1 “American Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson’s “Walk Away” and Ashlee Simpson’s “Pieces of Me”. She admits her first love is still singing, making her in touch with the contestants she now judges.

The show averaged 27 to 28 million viewers a night last year, with about half of those in the 18-49 demographic. But the show was benefited by the writers’ strike, which brought scripted shows to a halt on other networks. Fox also aired the Super Bowl last year, which gave it another boost.

This season of “American Idol” will put less emphasis on the opening audition sequences and more on the Hollywood competition, with the semifinalist field expanding from 24 to 36. Moreover along with a new, fourth judge, more semifinalists and a “wild-card” round that gives some contestants a second chance to go to the finals, commercials promoting the new season have shown fewer of the bizarre and obviously untalented contestants than in previous years.

The show’s premiere was the most-watched regularly scheduled broadcast program of the season, averaging 33.4 million viewers, though that was down from the previous year’s record bow of more than 37 million. The finale drew 31.7 million total viewers, up 1 million from the previous year and up quite a bit from the 22.7 million who watched Kelly Clarkson win season one in September 2002.

American Idol has the highest ad rates for any regularly scheduled show in prime time. In the May upfront, prices for: 30 spots rose between 8% and 9% from last year. Last year’s prices averaged about $780,000; last-minute purchases cost more. The show brings in about $750 million in revenue per season, according to UBS AG analyst Michael Morris.