Why I Won't Listen to Imus

On December 3, 2007, Don Imus returned to the airwaves. I'm not listening, and here's why.

Last April, Imus was fired from his long-running, nationally syndicated "Imus In The Morning" radio program on WFAN-AM, a CBS affiliate, for referring to the Rutger's University women's basketball team as a bunch of "nappy-headed hos." MSNBC, which carried the show on television, quickly followed suit. Imus subsequently settled a breach of contract action with CBS which resulted in that network's paying him a reported $20 million, half of what he would have earned under his original agreement. Less than eight months after being fired, Imus was back on the radio at WABC-AM in my home town, New York City.

Imus's defenders argue that the man has suffered enough, having been savaged by the media and much of the public. But when it comes to a powerful figure, does bad publicity really exist? Usually not. Imus is no stranger to slings and arrows. It comes with the territory of being a "shock jock." As I noted in a previous opinion piece, Imus, many years ago, called senior PBS correspondent, Gwen Ifill, an African American, a "cleaning lady", and, because of his long history of on-air racial remarks, fell out of favor with NPR journalist Juan Williams, who is also black. Now, after a wrist slap and an eight-month paid vacation, Imus is on WABC, poised to be bigger and better than ever.

Imus has returned to the air with longtime sidekicks Charles McCord and Bernard McGuirk. Mr. McGuirk was the guy who prodded the cowboy-hat-toting Imus into calling the Rutgers hoopsters "nappy headed hos." Nothing seems to have changed. It's the usual slick shuffle of the rich and powerful: blame the media, shed a few tears, and then keep on doing what you've always done.

In a December 4, 2007 column in The New York Post, Linda Stasi points out that Karith Foster, a black female Texan, has joined the I-man's team. She appeared on Imus's maiden broadcast for about three minutes. Sounds like window dressing to me, but time will tell.