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Title: Imus Fights for Job in Wake of Insults
Source:
ABC News
URL Source: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3023928
Published: Apr 9, 2007
Author: DAVID BAUDER
Post Date: 2007-04-09 17:46:00 by Eoghan
Keywords: None
Views: 229
Comments: 10
Imus Fighting for His Job As CBS and NBC Weigh the Cost of His Racial Insults After a career of cranky insults, radio star Don Imus was fighting for his job Monday following one joke that by his own admission went "way too far." Two of the nation's biggest media companies CBS Corp. and NBC Universal will ultimately decide the fate of Imus' daily program after he referred last week to members of the Rutgers women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos." Imus continued to apologize Monday, both on his show and on a syndicated radio program hosted by the Rev. Al Sharpton, who is among several black leaders demanding his ouster. Imus could be in real danger if the outcry causes advertisers to shy away from him, said Tom Taylor, editor of the trade publication Inside Radio. "Everyone is on tenterhooks waiting to see whether it grows and whether the protest gets picked up more broadly," Taylor said. Imus isn't the most popular radio talk show host the trade publication Talkers ranks him the 14th most influential but his audience is heavy on the political and media elite that advertisers pay a premium to reach. Authors, journalists and politicians are frequent guests and targets for insults. He has urged critics to recognize that his show is a comedy that spreads insults broadly. Imus or his cast have called Colin Powell a "sniffling weasel," New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson a "fat sissy" and referred to Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado, an American Indian, as "the guy from `F Troop.'" He and his colleagues also called the New York Knicks a group of "chest-thumping pimps." On Sharpton's program Monday, Imus said that "our agenda is to be funny and sometimes we go too far. And this time we went way too far." The Rutgers comment has struck a chord, in part, because it was aimed at a group of young women at the pinnacle of athletic success. It also came in a different public atmosphere following the Michael Richards and Mel Gibson incidents, said Eric Deggans, columnist for the St. Petersburg Times and chairman of the media monitoring committee of the National Association of Black Journalists, which also wants Imus canned. "This may be the first time where he's done something like this in the YouTube era," Deggans said. Viewers can quickly see clips of Imus' remarks, not allowing him to redefine their context, he said. On his show Monday, Imus called himself "a good person" who made a bad mistake. "Here's what I've learned: that you can't make fun of everybody, because some people don't deserve it," he said. "And because the climate on this program has been what it's been for 30 years doesn't mean that it has to be that way for the next five years or whatever because that has to change, and I understand that." Imus' radio show originates from WFAN in New York City and is syndicated nationally by Westwood One, both of which are managed by CBS. CBS Radio just replaced chief executive Joel Hollander with Dan Mason. With Imus' radio show reaching an estimated 2.5 million people a week, his future could conceivably be decided by CBS chief Leslie Moonves. CBS has denounced Imus' remarks and said it will monitor his show for content. The show is simulcast daily on MSNBC, where it reached an estimated 361,000 viewers in the first three months of the year, up 39 percent from last year. That's the best competitive position it has ever achieved against CNN (372,000 viewers). If MSNBC were to decide against showing Imus, it would need to quickly come up with an alternative, which would almost certainly be more expensive. MSNBC is owned by NBC Universal. NBC said it was reviewing the case. "He will survive it if he stops apologizing so much," said Michael Harrison, publisher of Talkers. Imus clearly seems under corporate pressure to make amends, but he's nearly reached the point where he is alienating the fans who appreciate his grumpy outrageousness. Even if he were to be fired, he's likely to land elsewhere in radio, Harrison said. The Rev. Jesse Jackson and about 50 people marched Monday outside Chicago's NBC tower to protest Imus' comments. He said MSNBC should abandon Imus and MSNBC should hire more black pundits. Julian Bond, chairman of the NAACP board of directors, said it is "past time his employers took him off the air." "As long as an audience is attracted to his bigotry and politicians and pundits tolerate his racism and chauvinism to promote themselves, Don Imus will continue to be a serial apologist for prejudice," Bond said. Imus was mostly contrite in his appearance with Sharpton, although the activist did not change his opinion that Imus should lose his job. At one point Imus seemed incredulous at Sharpton's suggestion that he might walk away from the incident unscathed. "Unscathed?" Imus said. "How do you think I'm unscathed by this? Don't you think I'm humiliated?"
Poster Comment: On a no-fly list? Imus has a private jet, but this has be about mocking Cheney.
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#1. To: Eoghan (#0)
The stench of hypocrisy coming from Sharpton, Bond, and Jackson is overwhelming...
Payroll Al walked away from the Tawana Brawley hoax a celebrity... Nappy head
Nappy-headed yes, hos no. These are after all female college basketball players. Bow-wow.
Imus isn't going anywhere. He will do a suspension for a few weeks and be back. Imus has long been a "must" listen too for every hack and wannabe player of the Beltway. His show sets the parameters of debate and is a test ground to float new Beltway lines. It is also a sort of day to day who is in and who is out reference sheet. His program is on the air despite having awful ratings because it is a bellweather program that sends out a daily synopsis of Beltway bullshit opinion that savy people know to listen too and then spew themselves. Can you think of any other drive time morning shock jock who has commercials for Lockheed and GE and Boeing? Imus is a bitch of the MIC and Beltway.
You nailed it. If anyone is the whore, it's Imus. Richard W.
Actually his numbers aren't that "awful"... Never swear "allegiance" to anything other than the 'right to change your mind'!
You bet he is. He has good ratings because there is nothing else on at that time. I've listened to him a few times, and frankly, from a pure aesthetic point of view, Imus sucks.
It is not a Justice System. It is just a system.
That he is on MSNBC simply proves my point. His show's radio ratings- in no way justify him being carried live by a major television news network- indeed- the oppossite. A broadcast of a monkey banging pots and pans on one of 4 or 5 major network morning shows would earn viewers. Imus is propped up and pushed by major Beltway power centers. The man's show should have been canceled a decade ago.
I listened extensively to him every morning for a few years- and I picked up on his show matching the "conventional wisdom" of the Beltway to the letter. Indeed- his show helped set the "conventional wisdom". His show is an act in the two party fraud. Imus never- EVER- has deviated from the very narrow range of accetable Beltway opinion one IOTA.
No, I don't. Imus gets paid top dollar to be Washington's waterboy. Gibson, Richards, Imus - hate speech laws are on the way. Take that to the bank. Richard W.
Remember...G-d saved more animals than people on the ark. www.siameserescue.org
#2. To: who knows what evil (#1)
(Edited)
"Unscathed?" Imus said. "How do you think I'm unscathed by this? Don't you think I'm humiliated?"
“Yes, but is this good for Jews?"
#3. To: Eoghan (#0)
I've already said too much.
#4. To: Eoghan (#0)
Imus isn't the most popular radio talk show host the trade publication Talkers ranks him the 14th most influential but his audience is heavy on the political and media elite that advertisers pay a premium to reach. Authors, journalists and politicians are frequent guests and targets for insults.
#5. To: Burkeman1 (#4)
Imus is a bitch of the MIC and Beltway.
#6. To: Burkeman1 (#4)
His program is on the air despite having awful ratings...
The show is simulcast daily on MSNBC, where it reached an estimated 361,000 viewers in the first three months of the year, up 39 percent from last year. That's the best competitive position it has ever achieved against CNN (372,000 viewers).
Morning programs P2+ (25-54)
FOX & Friends – 734,000 viewers (248,000)
American Morning – 309,000 viewers (124,000)
Imus in The Morning- 355,000 viewers (196,000)
Robin & Co. – 203,000 viewers (120,000)
#7. To: Burkeman1 (#4)
Imus is a bitch of the MIC and Beltway.
#8. To: Brian S (#6)
#9. To: bluedogtxn (#7)
#10. To: Eoghan (#0)
Don't you think I'm humiliated
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