MSNBC Pulls Plug On Don Imus

Cable Network Responds To Growing Outrage By Dropping Simulcast Of "Imus In The Morning"

(CBS/AP)  MSNBC said Wednesday it will drop its simulcast of the "Imus in the Morning" radio program. The decision comes amid growing outrage about radio host Don Imus' demeaning comments about 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.

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.

CBS Radio issued a statement saying it is sticking to its decision to suspend "Imus in the Morning" for two weeks, reports CBS News correspondent Anthony Mason.

But Bruce Gordon, a director of CBS Corp., and the former head of the NAACP, said Wednesday the broadcasting company needs a "zero tolerance policy" on racism and that Imus should be fired for his remarks.

The program originates from New York radio station WFAN and is syndicated to other radio stations by CBS Radio. Both, like CBSNews.com, are part of CBS Corp.

"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 "make the smart decision" by firing Imus rather than letting him return to the air at the end of a two-week suspension that was announced Tuesday.

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.

Rutgers women's basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer said Wednesday night she was surprised at MSNBC’s announcement, but heartened that the public had reacted so strongly against his comments.

Stringer, though, said the firing would not change plans for the players to meet with Imus in the future to discuss the comments.

“At no time were we trying to make a decision about whether he should be hired or fired,” Stringer said in a telephone interview.

MSNBC's decision to drop the simulcast 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.

[jacksteen1]

Time for this ugly racist Cracker to take his pension (if he's got one!) and go the *** away...we are sick of listening to his stupid rants ... his usefulness has expired!

Buh bye stupid !

[thehobman]

The Press Is A fountain Of Information For The
Enemy But We Have To Protect Them. I Think As Long
As They Are Over There They Should Protect Themselfs..They Have All The Ratings And Money.
They Never Have Any Good News On Anything Good
We Do, Only Everything Bad}}}
Because They Are Experts They Hide Behind Freedom Of The Press,,,They Have Killed Many Solders Because Of There Information They Let Out On Everything We Do,,,,If I Was In Charge I Would Tell Them Get Out..Or Go On The Otherside And See
How Long You Will Last...

Im Sick Of The Press All Doom And Gloom

[klingon69]

When's Sharkton gonna apologize to the Duke Lacrosse team members?

Huh?
Crickets...

[joe_in_nj]

Here is the email I sent to MSNBC -

By making the decision to drop the "Imus In The Morning" program from your schedule, you have isolated me as a faithful viewer and I have no choice but to drop MSNBC from the slate of news outlets I will watch. While in no way do I support the despicable comment made by Don Imus last week, I do appreciate his show and the interviews that he conducts. I was disappointed in Imus with his remarks, but he continued to have my support. My disappointment with MSNBC runs deeper as management could have made a decision immediately to suspend or fire Imus last week; however, you chose to wait until outside interests became involved and it now appears that you will kow-tow to the Al Sharptons of the world.

What a pity.
__________________________________________

I agree 100% with Jeff Greenfield and certainly hope that CBS Radio goes no further than the already handed down two-week suspension.

[michellem99-2009]

I never watched his show so I won't miss it.Good bye to Imus.

[sharncedar]

What is this actually all about? Do you think corporate America is trying to protect its little black friends? Or is the "outrage" in this case really about lesbian soft-porn for the super-rich, also known as "women's basketball"?

Of course, this is not about black people, it is about the playthings of the richest, most lesbian-leaning and powerful women, who want their nappy-headed sugar cakes prancing their masculine bodies in front of them and playing at sports, at taxpayer expense of course.

Pretty funny that stupid blacks think its about them. It's never about anything but the richest and the most elite.

[hissteps4u]

Like howard Stern and Others Imus needs move to serius or XM Radio and sell his *** to others who want to liten to Him if he can find an audiance by then.

[olebd]

I don't care that he's gone. I do care that the likes of Al and Jesse with the help of the media can cause such a overblown uproar over a simple comment for which Imus apologized for.

We need to look into why this country has become so PC and work to stop all this childish nonesense and the constant double standards.

Al and Jesse do a lot more harm then good when it comes to bringing us all closer together as all good "reverends" should.

Time to come up with a universal set of rules for everybody or the division between the races will only get worse.

[randalds]

Good. he's off TV and CBS will drop him from the radio. It's over and done with now can we get back to real news and stop beating this dead horse? We all agree, the man is a as*s and he got what he deserves. Now let's route this to Entertainment Tonight where it belongs.

[bill1fj]

Imus said some bad stuff.
He apologized for it.
Seemed sincere to me.
Sharpton attacked the Duke Lacosse players.
He hasn't apologized.
Sharpton attacked the police a while back about some charges that later proved false.
He never apologized.
I think Imus is more of a man.
Now, Is MSNBC and its parent company going to deal with all the "rappers" and others that have said much more sexist, racist, and degrading things than Imus did?
I bet not.
They're just kowtowing to Sharpton and others that make there livings creating hysteria using race.
MSNBC should be ashamed of itself.
As should Imus, Sharpton, and others.
Thank You,

[blssd384]

i don't understand what is taking so long to get this man off the air. not only did he insult black women but he insulted women in general. or could it be because he directed his comment towards black women that we have to go thru this song and dance to get justice. it didn't take the comedy club that long to oust richards. you would think things would move swifter. i hope we can do whats right and get rid of this kind of disease its killing our society. i could have tolerated jimmy the greek but not this. it was just outright malicious and should not be tolerated.cbs,msnbc do whats right cut this cancer out NOW.

[hissteps4u]

Jeff Greenfield is correct. Sharpton has done worse on his radio Program but because he is Black its OK? Give us a break.

I droped MSN today, Closed my MSN email ccount and switched to Comcast the Jerks have fnaly really made me Mad.

Imus is a Puttz for sure but to Bow down to the speca INterest only shows th MSN Management INtegredy which is Nill at this Point to little to late andtotaly Inapropiate to single Imus out for such harsh reatmentwhen such garbage spews forth from the airwaves on a daily Basis.

It is obvious No one listens to farrakan or his garbage Yet its OK for him to say Whittie will be Over thrown by the True Chikdren of god when Ims chose some colorful languageand now pays the Price Ultimately for it?

Hypocrits You have been removed from the Brouser and your accounts have been closed.

I will let my Money do the talking and walk another direction. I stopedwatching NBC some time back as it is. Good-By.....

[itandgolf]

Good Job! Giving validity to Al Sharpton.
The doomsday clock just moved.

[ssporleder]

I never listened/watched Imus and have never nor will ever listen to the two bafoons, Sharpton and Jackson. Sort of a Laurel and Hardy or add another one to make it the Three Stooges.
Anyway, Imus may be out of a job, but he does have money and he will probably get employment another time.
I do not see this to be as big a deal as if one of us little people were to lose a job.
He also will have enough supporters to sustain his charitable organizations, and all of this can be put behind him.
And some of what he was joking about was right on- did you see the one gal from the team - I swore it was a man until a few minutes into the interview!

[mistywind]

I think it is silly to fire Imus or pull his show, after all he is a shock jock, and while I am not a big fan of his, he did apologize. But he also has done a lot of good. He put the word out there for the Katrina victims and that mess and he runs that ranch for children. Of all the important bad things going on in the world, we are in an uproar about this? Well he shouldn't have made those comments, but come on, it is not like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are sinless!!! Al Sharpton has made comments and while Jesse was preaching to Bill Clinton about his white house affairs, old Jesse was *** around too!!!! We have more important issues confronting us than this!!!!

[usnoozulooz3]

Somebody who has some balls has got to step up and say''shut the hell up already''--hes apologized.He made a mistake. Hes not a racist. End of story. Whens somebody with half a brain gonna realize that Al and Jessie are troublemakers and opportunists and they should be ignored?

[jt92202]

I have a teenager daughter at home and she calls all of her friends (they call thier friends) "Ho's" all the time. The Hollywood and the Music Industry has allowed this type of speach to be all over the radio, tv and movies for far too long. It has shown us it's ok to talk this way when it's not. We need more responsible artists, directors and writers who will no longer allow thier industries to produce this type of ***!! Don Imus was in the wrong but when you hear it all around you all the time then somewhere sometime someone is going to say this type of thing and get backlash from their peers. I say all of us have a responsiblity to boycott movies, tv shows and music that continues to put this into the mainstream. That is the only way we can let these people know we are tired of all of it!! This was not just an issue of racism against blacks but it was also against women.

I do teach my daughter this is no way to speak to and about her friends but since it is "no big deal" in their minds what can you do?

[ssporleder]

P.S.

This country has gone to hell and handbasket with "political correctness" and I think this does more harm than good in many situations.

[wattermelann]

This is a bunch of racist ***-directed at white people. Nappy headed hos--do you know how many white people have nappy hair? Nappy headed hos is lightwweight off the wall-but hardly a hard core racist remark that would force companies to pull their advertising? Over my lifetime I have endured many a racial slurries from African American people and when it is time to owe up to the insult they "I didn't say that". If anything I have found African Americans to be the worst racist slurrist towards white people ever! And they get away with it. NBC grow up! And to think all of these racial slurrist go crawling to Reverend Sharpton, slobbering and begging for forgiveness-If you can't stand for what you say then shut the f*ck up!

[itandgolf]

1 more thing...I'm done with nbc/msnbc tv and radio stations. Spineless.

[tyranmex8810]

i for one will not watch msnbc anymore .im tired of these nappy hairs getting their way all the time . no wonder most everybody hates them .

[canaima]

Political correctness gone wild.

[tucano2]

I am so sick and tired of wimps in suits looking out for my sensitive hearing. The airwaves are so homogenized now you cannot possibly tell from a script one talking head from another. The suits have just about killed the American language broadcast industry and handed it all over to the illegal aliens running foreign language broadcasting using airwaves that actually BELONG TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE - ALL OF US - THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY. Ugly is generally far more entertaining, so let us have more, not less, of Imus.

[ssporleder]

jt92202 says -
The Hollywood and the Music Industry has allowed this type of speach to be all over the radio, tv and movies for far too long. It has shown us it's ok to talk this way when it's not. We need more responsible artists, directors and writers who will no longer allow thier industries to produce this type of ***!!
Right on - they actually get PAID for talking badly.

[spoly13]

I totally agree Imus's comments were just very offensive...not just to blacks as there are white women on that team...but to women in general. I also don't understand why the record companies permit the use of such offensive, vulgar language on their labels. I boycott just about all the rappers who bad mouth women and show utter disrespect. That sort of garbage language just makes Americans appear to have absolutely no class or decency and it should not be permitted. If someone wants to call their wife or sister a *** in the privacy of their home that is their business but it has no place in the public domain.

[moosekitty-2009]

I think Don Imus deserves to have been removed from the air, not only because of this latest travesty of human decency, but because of the other agregious insults he has hurled at many other people, calling people despicable names. His statements that "we", as the public listeners should realize his comments are in jest, are an insult to me, for one. Many times over the past year, I have shut him off after one of his tirades, diatribes, and humiliating put-downs of others, including the ongoing demeaning way he treats his co-workers...very insensitive, for someone who purports to be such a good person. I loved his news and wit, up to the point where it got over the top mean and nasty. His crude and hurtful comments (and some of the others on his show) about gay people, overweight people, women and black people...and his disagreeable ranting were just waiting for tolerance to be exceeded by decency...and that is what happened with this last outrageous piece. Yes, he apologized....he needs to make amends to every single person he has hurt. I expect it will take years to do so...and I am gratified to hear that sponsors reacted the way they did and that CBS MSNBC has responded in favor of doing the "right thing". Sometimes "enough is really quite enough!" Surely someone can step in and do better than this.

[madmant2]

I am saddened to hear the decision of MSNBC to no longer simulcast the Imus in the Morning show. I will bend every effort to listen to that program on CBS radio.
What he said last Wednesday was wrong! What he said was stupid, (he has a history of some thoughtless speech throughout his career and life So have I, off and on. I want to point out all of his positives, all that he has done for many different types of minorities, but that will fall, either on deafened ears from predjudice or on those who already know this.
I pray that CBS will continue to carry Don Imus on the radio, and I will work at finding out where on the radio dial I can continue to begin my mornings with the I-man.
His stupid remarks could be the key to a national platform from which to study and discuss racism, sexism and demeaning others in general. I would recommend that he be given that opportunity. The chance to talk about the unspoken bigotry in our country.

[aaabee-2009]

Wow.

I have heard far worse from Rush Limbaugh and no one dared pull him off the air.

If Imus had been Limbaugh he wouldn't have gone.

[hypnotoad72]

Yo, Mr. Imus. What you said was wrong and despicable.

DJs defending you saying "black rappers also use those words" also miss the point that there is no way such a derogatory phrase should be tolerated!!

But if self-depreciation is bad, why is it allowed by other people?!

The only tolerable use is in the context of "Don't call us hos!" That line is self-explanatory and was said in late-80s rap because of a stereotype attributed to black women that was being fought. THE VERY STEREOTYPE IMUS USED!!

These days it's just "I wanna get with my ho" that's sung by rappers and it's sung as a recognition of sexual gratification; there is no social consciousness or anything else remotely worthy to what is being sung; like the rest of the media it is devolved sleaze.

That's a BIG difference between then and now, and quite a derogatory one and that cannot be denied nor justified. When did fighting against a stereotype turn into supporting it?!!

Nobody should be defending Imus. But why is rap given a free pass?!

[tucano2]

Some player in the NBA or NFL or MLB or MLS or whatever delivers a shot off the hip (that is ab lib not carefully scripted) similar to the one Imus is getting all this phoney-baloney heat about and you know what has happened and will happen, right? In the heat of the moment a slip of the tongue or mindless rude statement comes out, the player is slapped on the wrist, maybe pays a fine of a few bucks (to him), and maybe misses a game or match or two - that is it. The team owners know the fans eat that sort of thing up and that over the course of a season just about everybody is going to get dissed, and the players are so valuable to the franchise's bottom line there is no way an owner is going to commit hari kari over some incident or the other. The Broadcast network, their affiliates, AND THE SPONSORS, all have profited mega-millions on Imus' audience draw. And now all those wimps have figureatively shot themselves in the foot, both of them, but also in the head-since their brain size is so small it is not likely any of the 3 shots will be fatal.

[sugarmice-2009]

as soon as corporations stand by their employees, everyone puts their foot in their mouth now and then - but to lower yourself to the likes of Sharpton and Jackson shows no backbone. When corporations like YOU decide enough is enough - we will punish the perpetrator as we see fit NOT how you want it done and when you do this perhaps you can be the step forward on not allowing these racists to run your lives. Until they are silenced, we will constantly be having racial problems - seems like everything that happens in life is racial to them - they need to silenced and then the human race can begin to heal

[sainethepain]

If we could get Al and Jackson to leave this easy the world would be a lot beeter off. To think these two scums could do this to someone is down right WRONG. Two who have don't more wrong thay Iume every did.

[jwedick]

What a BIG mistake MSNBC is making!!!! Same with the advertisers who are pulling their ads. Boycots can work both ways folks. It was a real bad comment, yes but given all he has done in good deeds - he doesn't deserve this. So long MSNBC - I am now a former viewer - goodbye GM and all the rest of them.

[brianp55]

Imus is a jerk...good riddance.

[sainethepain]

I hope all you so called people that belive in the USA are happy. Seams like you can only be what others want you to be. You did not have to turn in to him and listen. Weak people need to get the H--l out on the USA.

[havemercy3]

I don't agree that Imus should be talking and disrespecting groups of people in the manner he has, BUT, on the same note, I despise rappers, musicians and entertainers that refer to women in the same manner. Yeah, why do they get a pass?

[adian1-2009]

If Imus is not fired and kept off the air forever in the future, the CBS is beyond repair and will have lost my respect. And so with the sponsors of Imus. Their products I will not buy. This is not an African-American racist thing. This goes well beyond that. This is a moral and ethical issue that affects us all, no matter the race, religion, color, beliefs, etc. If the skin of Imus turns black, he still must be fired. If he becomes yellow-skinned, he must be fired. If he becomes transparent... Well, he should have become transparent from the inception. Then he would have never been employed by CBS nor by any serious and socially responsible media entity.

[usnoozulooz3]

Someone needs to ''grow a backbone'' when it comes to Al and Jessie. THEY are the racists!!
They are also opportunists and use things like this to get their mug all over the news and TV.
I agree wholeheartedly that what Imus said was wrong but get over it already and move on!
Al and Jessie being ''spokesmen''or ''rolemodels'' for the black race is a joke. If the people who agree with me on this would call cbs or nbc enough,maybe they would see that the majority has spoken and we cant stand ''Big Al'' or ''Jessie''
and that we see them for what they really are.

[tyranmex8810]

AS YOU CAN SEE THESE NAPPY HAIRED PEOPLE ARE PRETTY WHINY. THERE FOR AWHILE I THOUGHT BARAK OBAMA MIGHT BE A GOOD PRESIDENT,BUT CAN YOU IMAGINE "STAPTOUNGE" BEING UP THERE LORDING IT OVER US ALL AND WHINING IF HE DOESNT GET HIS WAY .

[gunnerone2]

Talk about discrimination. If what Imus said is enough to take him off the air, what about Al Sharpton,Jessie Jackson and many others. How about the Mayor of New Orleans saying he wanted it to be a chocolate city? He is black and seems to want New Orleans that way. Reverse discrimination is alive and well and MSNBC should be ashamed of itself unless everyone is judged with the same rules. The mayor of N.O. may not work for MSNBC but it seems that race dictates the actions. Not the words. By the way MSNBC, ever listen to rap music?

[sainethepain]

No, brianp55, you are the jerk. You and every one like you.

[karynr10]

Hey JackSteen1.....
"ugly cracker" You are just as much a hipocrite as your Rev. Sharpton and Jackson!!!

Again, I ask the question, why isn't Sharpton with the THREE WRONGLY ACCUSED males?? He was there when at the beginning, where is he now? Why isn't he asking for justice to be served against the accuser??

[sari4242]

the warning signs for this racist finale was for me several weeks ago, when Don was call his wife Deirdre The Green Ho on the air. My local Binghamton radio station ceased carrying his show then. Why did MSNBC, CBS radio, and the others not object to that? Mary Matalin warned Imus not to refer to women in this manner, and he obviously did not heed her.
2. While the racist and sexist behavior of Don Imus I have learned has been off and on for at least ten years now, I find it hard to reconcile with the charity work he has done for children of all races with cancer at his ranch, or the veteran's center in San Antonio, or helping to expose Walter Reed. How could a man who tries on one hand to do so much good be so cruel and ignorant on the other?

[sandy19731]

I thought Bobby handled it right on the Sopranos Sunday night, Tony called his wife a "ho" (basically) and he cold cocked him.

Put Imus in a room with those girls parents and boyfriends for just a few minutes....

What would you do?

[springsar]

Good job MSNBC!!!

[jlgs12345]

"If you can't get redeemed once people make an inflammatory remark, then there are many people who shouldn't be in the public eye."

Tell that to Senator Lott or Rush Limbaugh or any other Republican. Jeff's trying to protect the left wing. No wonder the media's trust has been damaged over the years.

[lad7135]

Does a sincere apology mean nothing? Please give
Imus a chance to prove that he can continue to have an informative show without some of the
negative remarks. We all know that Mr. Imus is not a racist, but, unfortunately, he used poor judgement. The people who want him out are not
paragons of virtue---Sharpton, Jackson, etc.
Roker couldn't take being teased, so he seized
the opportunity to use racism. Imus has accomplished more good than any of his detractors.
MJ Worthington

[aaabee-2009]

Nobody should be defending Imus. But why is rap given a free pass?!
Posted by HypnoToad72 at 07:46 PM : Apr 11, 2007

M.O.N.E.Y. Lotz n' lotz.

Rap is black angst put to music.
Imus is white sarcasm put to a microphone.

Like your name, HypnoToad. just bought Season 3. The audio commentaries are hilarious!!!

[indogrl-2009]

Bravo MSNBC. I thought I was going to have to stop watching "Law and Order"

Bravo for the advertisers who were willing to take their dollars away.
I'm thinking about buying a GMC car.
In this case money talks and the racist, misogynistic radio personality walks.
Unfortunatly it did take money to make NBC do the right thing.
Anyone who thinks NBC did not do the right thing, by closing down his show, does not respect themselves nor could they possibly repect anyone else.

[rharrin1]

Al and Jessie are always so well dressed wish I could afford clothes like that.