Lyor to replace Simon?

TURN ON THE BLEEP MACHINE: One reporter on the American Idol beat threw out some intriguing suggestions in the continuing dialogue about who should replace Simon Cowell. Along with the previously mentioned Tommy Mottola, BuddyTV’s Abbey Simmons also named Elton John, Alex Patsavas and—get this—Lyor Cohen. The WMG gunslinger “is well known in the industry for his cut-throat business practices and could easily fulfill the ‘nastiness’ that Simon brought to the judges' table,” Simmons argues. “It's also high time for Idol to have a hip-hop winner, and few men are more qualified than Cohen to help that process.” (2/18a)