Radio personality Howard Stern has been doing the rounds of talk shows as well as the feature interview circuit recently, in the lead-up to his first season as a judge on the popular family show show Americas Got Talent.
Having already proclaimed himself as 'King of All Media' this was yet another twist of character on offer following the somewhat out of character performance on the first show of the season. Whilst hints of his outrageous radio persona gleamed on Monday's debut show, his kinder, more loving side shone through, earning his many plaudits for his light-hearted touch. Still, critical praise or not, this did little to draw in the crowds it was supposed to, as viewer figures were down considerably since the last season. Although viewing figures were commendable, Monday's show was seen by 10.3 million viewers and earned a 3.6 Neilson rating, viewership was down a considerable 33 percent, from the 15.3 million of last years debut.
Stern stepped into the judge's chair for the first time on Monday, filling in for Piers Morgan following his appointment to CNN as well as Itv in the UK. While ratings may have been low, the good performance from Stern gives NBC, who air the show, one less thing to worry about as they were long harassed by parental pressure groups upon the news of the risque radio host's appointment. A spokesperson for one group, who had not seen the show, expressed an overall approval of Stern's first turn out, but warned they would continue to be watching for any future antics.