Posted on 04/11/2007 5:17:31 PM PDT by rocksblues
NEW YORK (AP) - MSNBC said Wednesday it will drop its simulcast of the "Imus in the Morning" radio program, responding to growing outrage about the radio host's racial slur against the Rutgers women's basketball team.
"This decision comes as a result of an ongoing review process, which initially included the announcement of a suspension. It also takes into account many conversations with our own employees," NBC news said in a statement.
The announcement also was made on air.
Talk-show host Don Imus triggered the uproar on his April 4 show, when he referred to the mostly black Rutgers women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos." His comments have been widely denounced by civil rights and women's groups.
The decision does not affect Imus' nationally syndicated radio show, and the ultimate decision on the fate of that program will rest with executives at CBS Corp. In a statement, CBS reiterated that Imus will be suspended without pay for two weeks beginning on Monday, and that CBS Radio "will continue to speak with all concerned parties and monitor the situation closely."
MSNBC's action came after a growing list of sponsors—including American Express Co., Staples Inc., Procter & Gamble Co., and General Motors Corp.—said they were pulling ads from Imus' show for the indefinite future.
But it did not end calls for Imus to be fired from the radio portion of his program. The show originates from WFAN-AM in New York City and is syndicated nationally by Westwood One, both of which are managed by CBS Corp.
Bruce Gordon, former head of the NAACP and a director of CBS Corp., said before MSNBC's decision Wednesday he hoped the broadcasting company would "make the smart decision" by firing Imus.
"He's crossed the line, he's violated our community," Gordon said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "He needs to face the consequence of that violation."
Gordon, a longtime telecommunications executive, stepped down in March after 19 months as head of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, one of the foremost U.S. civil rights organizations.
He said he had spoken with CBS chief executive Leslie Moonves and hoped the company, after reviewing the situation, would fire Imus rather than let him return to the air at the end of an unpaid two-week suspension beginning next Monday.
A CBS spokesman, Dana McClintock, declined comment on the remarks by Gordon, who is one of at least two minorities on the 13-member board.
The 10 members of the Rutgers team spoke publicly for the first time Tuesday about the on-air comments, made the day after the team lost the NCAA championship game to Tennessee. Some of them wiped away tears as their coach, C. Vivian Stringer, criticized Imus for "racist and sexist remarks that are deplorable, despicable, abominable and unconscionable."
The women, eight of whom are black, agreed to meet with Imus privately next Tuesday and hear his explanation. They held back from saying whether they'd accept Imus' apologies or passing judgment on whether a two-week suspension imposed by CBS Radio and MSNBC was sufficient.
Stringer said late Wednesday that she did not call for Imus' firing, but was pleased with the decision by NBC executives.
Imus has apologized repeatedly for his comments. He said Tuesday he hadn't been thinking when making a joke that went "way too far." He also said that those who called for his firing without knowing him, his philanthropic work or what his show was about would be making an "ill-informed" choice.
At the Rutgers campus in New Brunswick, N.J., about 300 students and faculty rallied earlier in the day to cheer for their team, which lost in the national championship game, and add their voices to the crescendo of calls for Imus' ouster. One of the speakers was Chidimma Acholonu, president of the campus chapter of the NAACP.
"This is not a battle against one man. This is a battle against a way of thought," she said. "Don Imus does not understand the power of his words, so it is our responsibility to remind him."
“I don’t give a damn about Imus but free speech is everything”
Imus still has free speech rights, but what I see this case as an example of is a feeding frenzy which has taken on a life of its own against someone the left would probably have just as much preferred to leave alone. If you are a white public person and you say something like this, unless you are *very* well connected (as in being a member of congress) and a democrat, your career is toast.
He's still a major player at Clear Channel (CBS). If his ratings were so horrible, they would have let him go years ago. They didn't fire him. They gave him two weeks off (calling it a "suspension"). The network plays his reruns all the time anyway. He is at his ranch for sick kids all summer with his wife. I never saw a radio guy work so little.
He'll do this "suspension" standing on his head. He's pissed off so many people over the years, it's hard to keep count. He constantly tries to ruin and bate politicians on his show to destroy their carreers. There is a certain element that loves that cr*p. Kind of like the morons that would show up to watch an execution.
This is all about the almighty dollar. If anything, this whole deal will generate some serious buzz for his show.
If I read a story about this incident without the names and affiliations of the people identified, I would have sworn he had made these comments about an elementary school basketball team.
> Lurch must be devestated. He said Imus was his favorite
> show.
That’s because Imus bashed Bush on EVERY show, calling him the WORST president, the STUPIDEST president, an IDIOT, a FOOL, and other nice things like that there.
I only heard him while channel surfing the radio in the car, and he frequently had some interesting guests. But I always switched stations when he started one of his anti-Bush tirades.
How ironic that Imus, who is one of the principal supporters and promoters of the “Cultural Revolution”, should have it blow up in his face.
The sharks of the Leftist press smell blood in the water, so I think Imus is done for.
In my opinion, 2 factors figured into Imus getting canned by NBC/MSNBC (with a good chance that CBS will do the same).
First, he has had a history of using racial humour, including an alleged use of the N word in front of a 60 minutes producer.
Second, several major advertisers dropped his show over the past couple of days.
The cumulative effect of the recitation of the numerous racial comments combined with the potential huge revenue loss did him in.
I’d be highly surpised if he stays with CBS. In my opinion, he’ll either go on satellite or retire to the ranch which he’ll have to buy from the charitable foundation because he won’t have the personal cash flow to support the operating expense of having children with cancer visit.
Free speech originally pertained to political speech, not to all speech, as set up by our founding fathers.
Or said he'd never have Hillary on his show.
This is scary.
Imagine that “Radio DJ says ‘offensive’ thing” ... BFD.
This is a non-story blown out of proportion.
I’m with those who will refuse to join the condemning chorus, even as a throwaway line prior to the main point. Why? Because we ought not give the PC brigade a single ounce of credibility. Why should I condemn this insult and not the thousands of insults thrown at others every single day from other quarters. (Consider the daily barrage of insults at conservatives from so many media fixures like Rosie, Maher, Stewart, etc.
Dont let the PC brigade and the race hustlers gain any traction. Freepers: The free speech rights they attack next may be yours.
The effect of all this on the children with cancer has been largely overlooked.
It's just that in my thirty + years of being exposed to Imus, he's not funny and he seems like a nasty guy.
These girls weren’t in elementary school though. They were a very accomplished group of athletes, who had done nothing to provoke such a stupid comment. Given his history, I think Imus is unfunny and racist. IMO MSNBC was correct in dropping his show. The principle of free speech allows him to say things like this without going to jail. (as it should) Outside of that, MSNBC has the right to fire him for saying things that are offensive to others. (as they should)
I did a google search to see if I could find any Imus comments about the Trent Lott flap, but I gave up after going through several pages. Most of the hits were from journalists equating what Imus said to what Lott said and the consequences of each.
I hope someone like Malkin or Coulter digs up transcripts of Imus castigating Lott, if they exist. If they do exist, I'd like to see someone question Imus currently about his reaction to Lott.
MSNBC: The proud French-flag network. All the surrenders fit to give!
Which means they are basically a bunch of thin-skinned morons, in my opinion.
They exposed themselves as such the other day when one of them mentioned that they weren't really offended by the comment until they did some research and found out that he had made other comments like this in the past.
Just think about that for a second . . . If someone made derogatory comments about you in public, would you really give a sh!t about whether he/she had made similar comments in the past?
IMHO this quote is the scariest statement of all.
"This is not a battle against one man. This is a battle against a way of thought."
So now he’s lost his CBS radio show. Do you still think he’ll be back bigger and better in 12 months? Like Dan Rather is?
Well, here is a link to the article as posted on CBS:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/12/national/main2675273.shtml
quote:
Losing Imus will be a financial hit to CBS Radio, which also suffered when shock jock Howard Stern departed for satellite radio early last year. The program is worth about $15 million in annual revenue to CBS, which owns Imus' home radio station, WFAN-AM in New York, and manages Westwood One, the company that syndicates the show across the country. CBS Corp. is also the parent company of CBSNews.com.
Hmmm, 15 mil in revenue lost. Howard Stern went to Sirius (sat. radio). Do you think that 15 mil. might get somebody to hire him?
Oh and just before he was fired, his kids' cancer ranch was receiving more money than it ever had in its annual telethon. We haven't heard the last of Don Imus. (unfortunately)
Do blacks no longer want integration?
I do, as do many others. But those who follow and support $harpton and jack$on do not.
My guess is that number would parallel the number of Blacks who have left the plantation known as the democRAT party.
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