Previously rumored as a possible replacement for Simon Cowell on “American Idol” early last year, it appears Howard Stern is looking to get into the TV reality-judging game even more seriously this time, with a report swirling that the shock jock is in serious negotiations to fill Piers Morgan’s vacated seat on the NBC competition series “America’s Got Talent”.
If the reported $15 million/year deal goes through, Stern would join existing judges Sharon Osbourne and Howie Mandel on the show, which gives performers of all stripes the opportunity to compete for a $1 million prize and a headlining gig on the Las Vegas strip. Morgan announced his departure from the series on last night’s broadcast of CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight”.
The news was broken by the Wall Street Journal.
Joining the judges’ table on the family-friendly series would be an interesting move for the radio host, known for his provocative brand of comedy on “The Howard Stern Show”, which has been broadcasting on Sirius (now Sirius XM) satellite radio since 2006.
Stern acknowledged his previous flirtation with “Idol” on the show early last year, though that was largely viewed as a way to gain leverage in Sirius XM contract talks, with his current deal then due to expire at the end of 2010. In December, he re-signed with Sirius for another five years (though in March he and his agent filed a lawsuit against the company over their alleged failure to pay stock bonuses to Stern for boosting subscriber levels).
What do you think of this news? Are you a fan of Stern? Eager to see him shake up the series? Weigh in with your comments!