Ramey

American Idol producers "will do what it takes to sign" radio legend Howard Stern as a must-have replacement for Simon Cowell when the British mogul leaves the show after this season.

"Idol bosses think he'd be even nastier than Simon," a source told the NY Post. "They know he would be great TV, and would clash with the other judges such as Ellen DeGeneres and the contestants."

Howard Stern's Sidekick Artie Lange Released From The Hospital

Stern has engaged in hours of discussion about American Idol since its' 2002 debut, often discussing it in-depth with Eric "The Actor" Lynch, a regular caller of his radio program. The Private Parts star held a grassroots campaign for his fans to vote for ex-Idol hopeful Sanjaya Malakar three years ago.

EXCLUSIVE: American Idol Hopeful Casey James' Jailbird Past

Stern, whose Sirius XM contact is up in January 2011, recently said on his radio show he was "approached by a major TV network to take over a TV show and leave here and do that next year -- and I did turn it down.

"I'm not even sure if I want to be working," the King of All Media said. "I'm waiting to see what happens."