LOS ANGELES — Grown-up rocker David Cook triumphed over smooth-voiced teen David Archuleta to become the new American Idol.

While Archuleta was heaped with praise by the judges the night before, the voters decided otherwise — and it wasn't even close. "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest said on last night's show that the difference was 12 million votes.

Cook was overcome by emotion, bending toward the stage after his name was announced.

"This is amazing," he said. "This is all your fault," he added, addressing the brother he had accompanied to the "Idol" audition that started it all.

Cook immediately took the microphone and began to sing "Time of My Life," which won the annual "Idol" songwriting competition.

BOUNTY HUNTER SHOW BEING SUED

NEW YORK — An actor who says he created the "Dog the Bounty Hunter" program is suing the show's producers for at least $5 million he says they owe him in royalties, salary and other compensation.

Boris Krutonog says the A&E Television Networks and others failed to pay him for the fourth season of the show as its creator and co-executive producer. Filming for the fifth season recently began.

Krutonog also complains in court papers filed this week in state Supreme Court in Manhattan that he was the target of "abusive, violent and outrageous conduct" by the Honolulu-based show's stars, Duane "Dog" Chapman and his wife, Beth.

Krutonog says A&E, TV producer David Houts and his companies, Hybrid Films and D&D Television Productions, breached their contract with him.

An A&E spokesman said he could not comment on pending litigation.

Krutonog says in court papers that he signed contracts with Chapman, whom he met in 1995, for the exclusive right to develop the program based on Chapman's day-to-day life.

The show was taken off the air in November after Chapman used a racial slur off-air. Last week, the return of the show was announced, with Chapman saying he intends to clean up his language.

MUSIC MOGUL GETS 25 YEARS IN PRISON

ORLANDO, Fla. — Lou Pearlman, the man who created the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync, was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in federal prison for engineering a decades-long scam that bilked thousands of investors out of their life savings.

It was the maximum sentence the boy-band mogul could receive for allegedly swindling some $300 million from investors and banks since the early 1980s.

He pleaded guilty in March to money laundering, presenting a false claim in bankruptcy court, and two counts of conspiracy.

U.S. District Judge G. Kendall Sharp noted that many of the victims were Pearlman's relatives, friends and retirees in their 70s or 80s who lost everything.