Middle Age Hollywood

In a conference call with reporters last night, Simon Cowell again threw cold water on rumors that Howard Stern would succeed him as American Idol's mean judge when he leaves the show next season: "I'm fairly certain that there hasn't been an approach at any time for Howard to do the show," he said. Furthermore, the next Simon "has got to have a lot of experience in the music industry — that's the most important thing ... [Howard] doesn't seem to fit any of the criteria. On these shows, judges have been replaced by personalities, and that in the long term will create problems — because you've got to be able to spot a star," said the person who currently sits at a table with music expert Ellen DeGeneres and has previously overseen the coronations of such world-dominating American Idols as Kris Allen, Fantasia Barrino, and Taylor Hicks.

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