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Howard Stern's sewage promise for American Idol

By April MacIntyre Feb 9, 2010, 16:02 GMT

Howard Stern and Beth Stern © Sylvain Gaboury / PR Photos

Sacramento FOX affiliate FOX40 and Sirius/XM star Howard Stern are waging a battle on the airwaves after a FOX40 air personality slammed the idea of Stern stepping into Simon Cowell's soon to be departing shoes.

Forget the fact that the good money is on Guy Oseary, Madonna's manager and Maverick records executive, to replace Cowell.

Stern was called out for "pumping sewage" into American culture by FOX40's Heather Lee and Paul Robins, and Robins swore off the FOX show if the rumors panned out to be true.

Cowell's announcement that he will leave Idol following the end of this current season coincides with the end of Stern's exclusive satellite radio contract this year.

"If Howard Stern is on [American Idol], I will never watch it again," Robins said Monday morning. "I don't care if it's our network -- if Howard Stern is on that show, I will not watch a moment of it."

Stern jumped on the controversy and had a response of his own.

"I can't believe a guy in Sacramento is jealous of me," Stern quipped. "They just hate that I'm successful."

Stern said on the air that if right kind of money was offered for a spot on Idol, he would jump to TV.

"Name a person who could bring more excitement to [American Idol] than me," Stern said, adding that he would judge contestants on the show for a salary of $100 million.