Producers of American Idol are courting no-holds-barred radio shock jock Howard Stern to become reality TV’s next Mr. Nasty.

Idol informants claim FOX bosses are eager to bring Stern on board to replace Simon Cowell as the acid-tongue pundit on the show’s judges panel. Cowell will bid farewell to Idol in May as he prepares to launch an American adaptation of his UK ratings juggernaut The X Factor. Stern, on the hand, is the highest-paid radio personality in the country and threatening to jump ship on his Sirius Radio if the satellite service provider makes good on a promise to slice his $100 million a year deal.

Producers are believed to have approached Howard after he repeatedly mentioned on-air that his exclusive Sirius XM Radio deal ends next January and he would be willing to consider other offers.

“It’s one of the few shows that could compete with Stern’s $100 million-a-year Sirius contract, and ‘Idol’ bosses think he’d be even nastier than Simon.”