Imus Settles With CBS Radio

(CBS/AP)  The battle between Don Imus and CBS has apparently come to a halt.

The Drudge Report posted an item that said Imus settled his claim with CBS for breach of contract for $20 million and a non-disparaging clause. A CBS spokesperson confirmed to The ShowBuzz that a settlement has been reached. "Dollar amount rumored is grossly false," the spokesperson said.

The settlement pre-empts the dismissed deejay's threatened $120 million breach of contract lawsuit. Imus' lawyer Martin Garbus and CBS Radio issued a joint statement, but did not release any details of the settlement.

Imus and CBS Radio "have mutually agreed to settle claims that each had against the other regarding the Imus radio program on CBS," they said.

Imus was fired from both CBS radio and MSNBC after using the words "nappy headed hos" to describe the Rutgers women's basketball team in April. He apologized for what he said and even appeared on the Rev. Al Sharpton's radio show to further apologize.

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Photos: Don Imus

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CBS and Garbus confirmed only that the settlement had been reached. The person familiar with the talks told The Associated Press that Imus is taking steps to make a comeback with WABC.

That person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the details had not been announced, also said the deal with CBS calls for a "non-disparaging" agreement that forbids the parties from speaking negatively about each other.

Just before his dismissal, Imus signed a five-year, $40 million contract with CBS. Garbus, a famed First Amendment lawyer, said Imus would sue for the contract's unpaid portion. He cited a contract clause in which CBS acknowledged that Imus' services were "unique, extraordinary, irreverent, intellectual, topical, controversial." The clause said Imus' programming was "desired by company and ... consistent with company rules and policy," according to Garbus.

Meanwhile Tuesday, Rutgers basketball player Kia Vaughn sued Imus, CBS and others, claiming the offensive comments damaged her reputation. A spokeswoman for CBS Radio declined to comment, and a lawyer for Imus did not return a call about the suit.

A person familiar with the talks also told The Associated Press that Imus is taking steps to make a comeback with WABC. The stations' general manager, Steve Borneman, did not immediately return a call requesting comment. WABC is a talk-radio station that features radio personalities and shows such as Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh.

Sharpton, who led a "Fire Imus" movement, did not immediately return a call for comment. He said last month that he would not oppose the 67-year-old deejay's return to radio.

WFAN, the New York radio station that was Imus' flagship, also announced Tuesday that former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason will take over the morning time slot along with Craig Carton, a New Jersey radio personality.

[pared1]

CBS paid the price for firing Imus. This little nappy headed ho suing him is doing it for the money not to save her name.

[rushman71]

PUT IMUS BACK ON!!! THIS IS AMERICA, FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!! A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE WOULD LOVE TO BASH BUSH, RIGHT, AND CALL HIM EVERY NAME IN THE BOOK? SO IS THIS FAIR TO PUT IMUS UP ON THE HANGING TREE JUST FOR THE 3 WORDS HE BLURTED OUT WITH NO NEGATIVE INTENTION? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

[thisandthat1]

KEEP IMUS OFF THE AIR!

[samthetvcat]

"Take every cent he's got, sisters."
Posted by brianbwb

lol - he must be lying about the $20mil sum . . . it has to be at least $40mil. I'm not sure how that'll come across for him to be letting low-ball rumors float around if it comes out in discovery that he was actually paid much more. Also if he gets another job and got paid in full because of CBS' breach of contract, even though he was entitled to full recovery by law it looks like he's getting a windfall off of the tears and heartbreak drama of the Rutgers women who had to hear themselves called 'hos' about a thousand times on every network after their basketball playoffs. No way corporations like Proctor and Gamble want to be sponsors of Imus when he's in that kind of a light . . .

[samthetvcat]

"I hear you brother (no racial slur intended)"
Posted by robaldrich4

I'm actually a girl and I'm actually white, so I don't know why you would be calling me 'brother (no racial slur intended)'. I'll concede that neocons seem to really dig picking on chicks - Bush bullying the Dixie Chicks, Cheney outing Valerie Plame the covert CIA agent, Imus degrading underprivileged inner city girls who are athletes and scholars. But something else that wasn't clear is why you would think consumer demand is the driver of Imus' profitability in light of the fact that his listenership never wavered but his sponsorship left in droves.

Also I'm not sure why you would think a jury would see the Rutgers team and Imus in the same light as you given that you're the ONLY person on this thread to call them money grubbers. All you offered in support of your OPINION is well nothing except an air of overconfidence . . . that tends to really play badly with juries - I'm surprised you haven't noticed that by now . . . or is it because you keep getting stuck with 'stupid' juries or something ;)

[brianbwb-2009]

I'll concede that Imus 'probably' didn't defame the Rutgers team, but I still think they'd recover something.
Posted by SamTheTVCat

Imus called them "hos" a distortion of the word "***", meaning "prostitute".

If he has proof that his victims are indeed prostitutes, he should present evidence to that effect to the local authorities, and the girls would be arrested and processed.

Otherwise he accused the girls of engaging in illegal acts without proof, on a medium reaching millions of listeners. Depending on how one defines the media, it is spoken and recorded defamation, i.e., libel and/or slander, the "race" inference only made it more insulting.

Take every cent he's got, sisters.

[robaldrich]

Someone said in response to my post: %u201Cexcellent points counselor . . . of course if Imus ever wanted to work again, I guess badgering the Rutgers women's basketball team might hurt him more than it would help him in the long run. Also, does he really want the plaintiff's attorney painting the portrait of two Americas where somebody that says things in poor taste has the ability to garner a multimillion dollar salary, but where girls who have managed to escape the project on brains, talent and sheer force of will still have to endure being called "nappy headed hos"?

I hear you brother (no racial slur intended), but Imus%u2019s career will ultimately be determined by the profitability of employing him. I would imagine that the crowd that listens to Imus would only be emboldened by a vigorous defense. Further, I think they and the jury would consider a baseless lawsuit by an ambulance chasing attorney (who should be disbarred for filing the suit) for truly unharmed, money grubbing college students, seeking more money than they would have earned in their lifetime, after several heartfelt national apologies by Imus, repulsive.

If I were on the jury, they wouldn%u2019t get a cent . . . and I can%u2019t stand Imus.

[robaldrich]

Someone said in response to my post: %u201Cexcellent points counselor . . . of course if Imus ever wanted to work again, I guess badgering the Rutgers women's basketball team might hurt him more than it would help him in the long run. Also, does he really want the plaintiff's attorney painting the portrait of two Americas where somebody that says things in poor taste has the ability to garner a multimillion dollar salary, but where girls who have managed to escape the project on brains, talent and sheer force of will still have to endure being called "nappy headed hos"?

I hear you brother (no racial slur intended), but Imus%u2019s career will ultimately be determined by the profitability of employing him. I would imagine that the crowd that listens to Imus would only be emboldened by a vigorous defense. Further, I think they and the jury would consider a baseless lawsuit by an ambulance chasing attorney (who should be disbarred for filing the suit) for truly unharmed, money grubbing college students, seeking more money than they would have earned in their lifetime, after several heartfelt national apologies by Imus, repulsive.

If I were on the jury, they wouldn%u2019t get a cent . . . and I can%u2019t stand Imus.

[robaldrich]

Someone said in response to my post: %u201Cexcellent points counselor . . . of course if Imus ever wanted to work again, I guess badgering the Rutgers women's basketball team might hurt him more than it would help him in the long run. Also, does he really want the plaintiff's attorney painting the portrait of two Americas where somebody that says things in poor taste has the ability to garner a multimillion dollar salary, but where girls who have managed to escape the project on brains, talent and sheer force of will still have to endure being called "nappy headed hos"?

I hear you brother (no racial slur intended), but Imus%u2019s career will ultimately be determined by the profitability of employing him. I would imagine that the crowd that listens to Imus would only be emboldened by a vigorous defense. Further, I think they and the jury would consider a baseless lawsuit by an ambulance chasing attorney (who should be disbarred for filing the suit) for truly unharmed, money grubbing college students, seeking more money than they would have earned in their lifetime, after several heartfelt national apologies by Imus, repulsive.

If I were on the jury, they wouldn%u2019t get a cent . . . and I can%u2019t stand Imus.

[sargfish7]

GOD BLESS YOU IMUS..... NOW, EXPOSE SHARPTON FOR THE PHONEY HE IS!!!