Under sponsor pressure, NBC gives Imus the boot
By Damara Popoola

Imus in the dark

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 4/11/07 — Things got even worse for Don Imus today when MSNBC, after an “ongoing review process,” opted to completely sever ties with the shock-jock after advertisers suspended sponsorship of his show. “Imus in the Morning” had been simulcast on the cable channel since 1996, but brought in less than 400,000 viewers.

At presstime, Imus’ other employer CBS Radio had not followed suit. Radio, especially in the shock jock genre, is generally more forgiving — and even defensive of a DJs right to make outrageous remarks. However, Bruce Gordon, a CBS director and former president and CEO of the NAACP, said, “As an African-American, I believe that Imus has crossed the line, a very bright line that divides our country.” He added, “His remarks are so significant that I believe that the right outcome is for him to be terminated.”

The decision comes just days after Imus referred to the mostly African-American Rutgers women’s basketball team as “nappy headed hos”. By Wednesday, Imus had been seen apologizing contritely every where from Al Sharpton’s syndicated radio show to the “Today Show”. Whether the apologies did more harm than good is open to interpretation.

Essence Carson, a member of the Rutgers team Imus insulted, said, “We haven’t personally received an apology. And personally, if someone were to apologize to me, I would feel better if I heard it from them themselves. Reading it in a newspaper or watching on television or hearing it on radio doesn’t serve any justice to what he said.”

At the other end of the spectrum, Imus’ longtime rival, Howard Stern, said, “He’s apologizing like a guy who got his first broadcasting job,” said Stern. “He should have said, ‘F–k you, it’s a joke.’” Nothing less would be expected from Stern who some would argue has said worse things than Imus on a daily basis.

Regardless, NBC has obviously decided that Imus is now more of a liability than an asset which only leaves the public to wonder whether CBS Radio, who owns Imus’ flagship radio station in New York, will follow suit.

In their official statement NBC said, “What matters to us most is that the men and women of NBC Universal have confidence in the values we have set for this company.” They then said, “This is the only decision that makes that possible. Once again, we apologize to the women of the Rutgers basketball team and to our viewers. We deeply regret the pain this incident has caused.”