Howard Stern, the famous shock-jock radio host, is rumored to be in talks with NBC about replacing Piers Morgan as a judge on “America’s Got Talent,” much to the dismay of the Parents Television Council.
The organization, which advocates “responsible entertainment,” said such a contract between Stern and NBC would result in “the alienation of millions of families, and with it the alienation of tens of millions of advertising dollars.”
“Such a move smacks of desperation by the once-proud peacock network,” Parent Television Council President Tim Winter wrote in a press release. “Any short-term buzz from Stern’s shock value will result in a longer-term decline as families abandon the show for more suitable programming.”
Stern has denied rumors of an NBC contract, but told MTV that “there’s not a better job on the planet than judging a f—ing karaoke contest.”
“It might be possible,” Stern said. “We’ll see.”
Piers Morgan will soon leave the show to spend more time covering the upcoming election on his CNN show “Piers Morgan Tonight.”
The Parents Television Council previously launched a campaign against the British-inspired MTV show “Skins,” enlisting advertisers in a boycott that ended the show after just one season.
The New York Daily News reported that Stern’s contract deal would be worth $15 million per season.