Mark Burnett Fires Back At Simon Cowell

Burnett tells TMZ ... he didn't even know NBC added "The Voice" to next Wednesday's schedule until we called to tell him. Burnett said, "There was never ever a meeting or a discussion of what my show was up against. The fact is ... it shows you where our minds are at and where others are because it literally never crossed my mind."

Burnett -- who also created "Survivor" -- tells us, "This is someone trying to read into something that doesn't exist."

Simon claims the folks responsible for "The Voice" have heard how good Britney Spears and Demi Lovato are ... so they're trying to keep the audience away from "X Factor."