The Parents Television Council recently demanded that advertisers boycott "America's Got Talent" because they were concerned that having HOWARD STERN on a primetime family show would RUIN OUR CHILDREN.  Well, Stern was everywhere yesterday promoting the season premiere, which airs Monday, and naturally, he addressed the PTC's outrage. 

On "The View", he said,  "I think it's kind of silly of anyone to say, 'Gee, we're against Howard on the show,' and they haven't seen the show.  What I would suggest is that they would really tune in Monday night, see what I do.  What I'm gonna do is be a very serious judge."

But he isn't FLOORED that the PTC would be concerned.  In fact, even he was surprised NBC was interested in bringing him onboard.  He said, "I got involved with 'America's Got Talent', much to everyone's surprise.  What kind of irresponsible behavior is NBC exhibiting when they put me on a family show?  Even I was shocked.  I got into my first meeting with them and I said, 'Are you guys high on something?'"

In a separate interview, Stern added, "I'm not going on the show to disrupt the beauty of 'America's Got Talent', because I love the show,  NBC should pay [the PTC] millions of dollars.  The more they keep issuing the statements, [the more] it makes me seem more interesting and controversial."

For the record, the producers LOVE the hire.  One of them said, “[He's] a controversial figure, but he knows he's here to do a job, which is to find talent that's going to amaze people.  He's the closest [thing] to Simon Cowell that I've ever met."

("The View's" website has five clips from the Stern interview.  You can find the ones where he talks about "America's Got Talent, here and here.)