Parents TV Council: Stern will ruin 'Idol'

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LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- The Parents Television Council is demanding Fox address the rumors claiming radio shock jock Howard Stern may become a judge on "American Idol."

Simon Cowell has announced he is leaving the singing competition series at the end of this season and Stern has been widely tipped to replace him.

"Given 'American Idol's' extreme popularity with family audiences, I hope that Fox will put the rumors to rest and announce that it has no intention of adding to the show one of the most profane, sexually explicit and anti-family performers in the history of the broadcast medium -- either as a guest or as a judge," PTC President Tim Winter said in a statement Wednesday. "Unless Stern intends to undergo some sort of moth-to-butterfly metamorphosis -- though in his case the change would be more like rattlesnake-to-Labrador Retriever -- adding him to 'American Idol' would spell immediate death for one of the best franchises in American family entertainment."

The council pointed out Stern recently made rude remarks about former "American Idol" winner Fantasia on his radio show.

"Fox should move immediately to repudiate these rumors and instead commit publicly to keeping 'American Idol' safe for family viewing," Winter said.

The PTC is asking its members to sign its petition to keep Stern off "American Idol." The petition can be found at: http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/action/HowardStern/main.asp.