MSNBC and CBS fire Imus over controversy

[Brent]

Statement from NBC News: "Effective immediately, MSNBC will no longer simulcast the "Imus in the Morning" radio program. 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. 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. 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."

Imus Slur: More Advertisers Pull Out
Reuters reports: General Motors and drug maker GlaxoSmithKline pulled their advertising from shows hosted by Don Imus on Wednesday, striking a blow to the shock-jock and broadcasters who carry him. American Express and Home loans Web site Ditech.com also said they would withdraw their ads..."

Imus Slur: P&G Pulls Ads From Daytime
Miralus Healthcare, the makers of HeadOn, have "asked MSNBC to remove their advertising from the television simulcast of Mr. Imus’s radio program and run their commercials elsewhere." HeadOn!

Procter & Gamble's pull out, reported yesterday, "went a step further," the NYT reports. "It said that, for now, it had withdrawn all its advertising from MSNBC’s daytime schedule -- a potential loss of more than $560,000 on an annual basis for the Imus simulcast alone, according to figures from Nielsen Media Research."

Imus Slur: Advertisers Getting Skittish
"The Don Imus controversy may not end with his suspension," Keith Olbermann reported tonight. It's starting to hurt financially. Quoting Olbermann: "Staples -- the big office supply chain -- telling our sister network CNBC that 'recent comments on the show' have caused it to discontinue its advertising on Imus In The Morning.

And, an hour later, the co-president of Bigelow Tea announced her company, whose advertising contract with Imus's show had just expired, had 'suspended our current advertising' and may not resume it.

Within the last hour, the nation's biggest marketer, Procter & Gamble, has suspended its advertising committments for the television simulcast.

And the media buying agency Carat-USA says some of its clients have asked for their commercials to be pulled from the Imus program, though it would not identify them."

Olbermann said management has suggested that he "withhold any formal comment" about the situation "until Mr. Imus meets with the Rutgers players, to gauge their reaction..."

> Related: Reuters quotes a person familiar with the situation: "It's not been a mass defection and if they were concerned, their spots were moved to other programs. It has not resulted in a loss to MSNBC."

[HollynLA]

This is completely ridiculous IMHO. If that's all it takes to get yourself in trouble, the mayo of NOLA should have been removed a long time ago.

[Derek Ortt]

How is that a racial slur that Imus made

Last I checked, there are black players on the Tennessee team as well.

Last I checked, many black use far worse language themselves.

Can we DROP THE BS DOUBLE STANDARD. Lets stop making thinks what they are not and stop allowing one group to use slurs, while persecuting another for doing the exact same thing. Persecute all or none

[Ptarmigan]

Don Imus has always done this. I don't think he should lose his job over this. This guy likes to be on thin ice for one. I am no fan of Don Imus.

[Extremeweatherguy]

Seems like another news story blown out of proportion IMO.

[Stephanie]

Two wrongs don't make a right, IMHO.

Don't stay in the kitchen if you can't take the heat. Don just turned it up to "BROIL". You don't use derogatory slurs like that. This man is being paid to be a representative of these networks. If he said it off his show, he'd still be an ignorant jerk and probably would still be grilled.

He certainly has the "freedom" to sound and act like a jerk. Everyone that is offended has the "freedom" to say so.

[coriolis]

What Stephanie said.

This story has a lot of appeal to voyeurs and hate mongers. There's none of those here, right?

This will run a predictable course. Apologies will be offered, hands will be wrung, inflamed speeches will be given, editorials will be written, late night jokes will be made.

People need to watch less TV and read more books.

[angelwing]

I don't watch any TV period, when I used to the stuff then made me either sick, angry, or upset, I get enough of that in real life...books are better and you save on your electric bill

[StormScanWx]

The Imus story has gone on long enough and has been blown way out of proportion!

This is what I tell people who were offended: He said he was sorry, NOW GET OVER IT!!

[Ptarmigan]

The Imus story has gone on long enough and has been blown way out of proportion!

This is what I tell people who were offended: He said he was sorry, NOW GET OVER IT!!

Amen to that. I can careless about Don Imus.

[Brent]

CBS has fired him now. IMMEDIATELY.

[GalvestonDuck]

They could have just sent him to rehab. It worked for Isaiah Washington.

[Hybridstorm_November2001]

I know of many public figures that have said/done worse things than Imus, and gotten away with them. All seem a tad silly, and blown out of proportion.

[Regit]

Sharpton, Jackson, and FOX (never thought I'd see them all teaming up together on something) just needed something to stir up. Imus just happened to be the most recent person to say something offensive.

[TexasStooge]

CBS has fired him now. IMMEDIATELY.

I knew this was gonna filter down to his radio show.

I don't really pay attention to him anyways.

[Yarrah]

Double standards indeed. I know too many people who said worse things, who didn't apologize for what they said and who got away with it.

[BUD]

They fire him OK.NOW they need to fire all RAPPERS that sing this trash on the radio.

[angelwing]

Now the question is: "who do we pick on next?"

Other people have done a lot worse yet they're still out there spilling garbage. I just don't care anymore, already chucked the tv, thinking about chucking the radio now, the only good thing on anymore is baseball (and I can watch that on MLB)

[MusicCityMan]

{jumps on soap box}

Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and all blacks who think this is a racist issue need to SHUT UP! I don't think this was a racist or hate issue..

I think Imus waS actually trying to be sickly funny and it didn't work. It's not like he used it as a way to pick on the entire black race. He called Rutgers team this.. NOT EVERY BLACK WOMAN IN AMERICA!.

All those screaming hate and racism have nothing better to do. Sharpton and Jackson need to realize. He apologized, he said he was sorry. CBS n MSNBC went a bit far. Suspension-yes.. Fine-sure.. But do I think he should be fired..

absolutely not..

It just irks me that every time a black person is offended.. they scream like banshees until they get there way..

GROW SOME THICKER SKIN and take things not so seriously.. People have said things much worse.. People have done things much worse..

Now, a decent yet controversial radio man is out of a job. Whos' the next ur going to pick on..?

{jumps off soapbox, ends rant}

[HollynLA]

If you reverse races on this senerio, do you think the person accused would be fired? Do you even think anything would have been said? No, I don't think so. It's a double standard indeed and it needs to stop now. I even heard on CNN how the girls were dealing with this and some may have to seek counseling? Are you freaking kidding me, I can guarantee you that most of us have been called worse. This has been blown WAY out of proportion.