The Parents Television Council (PTC) is calling for an advertising boycott of NBC’s “America's Got Talent” over the hiring of radio shock jock Howard Stern as one of the reality show’s judges.
Back in December 2011, the PTC blasted NBC, characterizing the choice of Stern as “an act of desperation for a failing network.”
Letters were sent by PTC president Tim Winter to ninety-one of the show's advertisers, urging them to stop engaging in business with the NBC reality competition.
The message went out to businesses that have sponsored prior episodes of “America's Got Talent,” informing advertisers that programs such as the NBC reality show have been able to offer “millions of American families a brief respite from the otherwise-ubiquitous stream of violent, profane and sexually-explicit content on primetime broadcast television.”
However, the letters additionally warn that “NBC’s decision to add Mr. Stern to AGT will likely result in a sharp increase in explicit content, and we urge you to be mindful when considering a media buy.”
Cited in the PTC message to sponsors is a quote attributed to Stern in which he said a litany of inappropriate comments to a female guest including, “I would like to kiss you and chop off your feet . . . I wanna bite off your fingers . . .”
“Does such commentary accurately reflect your corporate values?” the letters questioned.
The new season of “America's Got Talent” debuts on May 14, and promos are being utilized that feature Stern as a new judge.
The program airs during the 8:00 p.m. timeslot in what used to be known as the “family hour.”
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