The prospect of Howard Stern as the next judge on “America’s Got Talent” may scare some — but it’s hard to find someone in Hollywood who’s against it.
“If you have the chance to get Howard Stern to do anything, just do it,” says Rob Burnett, executive producer of “The Late Show with David Letterman.”
“Howard has a compelling and entertaining voice. When it comes to saying what is on his mind, he is fearless.
“I honestly think that what they will get with Howard is a guy who will quickly become the best thing about that show — week in and week out,” Burnett said.
“Howard is a smart guy, and I would never expect him to be anything but respectful and family-oriented,” says Howard Bragman, vice-chairman of Reputation.com and one of Hollywood’s best-known publicists.
“Just because he is raunchy in the morning doesn’t mean he will be that way at night. Howard is a really sweet guy deep down.”
At least some of the people who have competed on the show wish Stern had replaced Piers Morgan — who abruptly quit last Wednesday after judging for six seasons — long before now.
“Piers Morgan was never qualified to judge talent,” says the comic singer Prince Poppycock, an “AGT’ finalist from Season 5 and a fan favorite.
Morgan’s “main purpose on the showwas to incite controversy and lash contestants with his caustic tongue,” says the singer.
“Stern can do a superior job to Piers in both respects and do it all with the flair of a showman. Stern [also has] a history as a performer himself. He understands what it takes tomake it in the entertainment industry.”
“This is a great move for Howard,” says Daymond John, the millionaire businessman from ABC’s “Shark Tank.”
“He now has a great opportunity to get in front of a family audience as well as a younger demo to show a lighter side.”
Still, the Parents Television Council immediately declared Stern the wrong choice for “AGT” and its wholesome audience.
“I would certainly hope that the folks behind ‘America’s Got Talent’ have enough common sense to know that they have a family brand there, and they would destroy the program for family audiences by adding Howard Stern,” spokesperson Melissa Henson told The Post.
“Stern would be amusing, but with an audience that large and diverse, he’d be trouble,” says Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University.
“The showwill have to have the longest ever time delay. Howard Stern is famous for saying things that get him fined— or almost fired.”