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Oprah Weighs In on Imus as He's Booted Off TV
By Aysha Hussain
April 12, 2007
Effective
immediately, MSNBC has decided it no longer will simulcast the "Imus in the
Morning" radio program. Will CBS Radio also drop the
controversial talk-show host?
In a statement posted on Imus' web site Wednesday evening, MSNBC announced its decision to cancel its simulcast of Imus' show.
Initially, MSNBC and CBS Radio addressed Imus' offensive remark with a two-week
suspension set to begin Monday. But after sponsors dropped the show and public
pressure mounted, MSNBC changed its mind. (See also:
The Imus
Fallout: MSNBC Pulls Plug on Controversial
Host)
"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," MSNBC said in a
statement.
Oprah Winfrey is adding her two
cents to the Imus controversy. USA
Today has reported that she has invited the Rutgers' women's basketball team and
their coach C. Vivian Stringer to appear on her show today. A spokesperson for
Harpo Productions Inc. said they are scheduled to appear live via
satellite.
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Despite a dramatic sponsorship backlash from
corporations including Staples and Procter & Gamble ( No. 14 on The DiversityInc 2007 Top 50
Companies for Diversity® list), NBC News President Steve Capus
said a loss in advertising dollars had nothing to do with his decision to drop
the radio program. Capus went on record stating that after having witnessed
countless discussions with NBC employees and the public, it was time to put an
end to all the fuss.
"I take no joy in this," said Capus in an interview with
MSNBC. "It's not a particularly happy moment, but it needed to happen. I can't
ignore the fact that there is a very long list of inappropriate comments, of
inappropriate banter, and it has to stop." Watch the video.
Imus' recent comment is just the
latest in a long history of racial slurs and inflammatory remarks made on the
show by Imus, his guests and regular contributors. Media Matters has kept a
log of these past comments made by Imus, his executive producer Bernard
McGuirk,
and others, including a comment in which McGuirk described the
rivalry of Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton
as a "young colored fellah pretty much deckin' the old bag from New York and
takin' away some of her money."
Imus' fate lies in
the hands of CBS's chief executive, Leslie
Moonves. Ironically,
last week McGuirk described the Rutgers University women's basketball team as
"jigaboos and wannabees," a reference
from the 1988 film "School Daze" written and
directed by Spike Lee (See also:
'Nappy-Headed Hos': Don Imus
Apologizes for Slur Aimed at Rutgers Team). According to a Newsweek
web exclusive, media mogul Sumner Redstone
said he is depending on Moonves to "do the right thing," a reference to Lee
and his 1989 film "Do the Right Thing," in deciding whether or not to fire Imus.
In a phone interview with The
Associated Press, Bruce Gordon, former president of the NAACP and a director of
CBS Corp., said Wednesday he hoped his company would "make the smart decision" by firing
Imus for his racist slur. "He's crossed the line, he's violated our community,"
said Gordon. "He needs to face the consequence of that
violation."
On his show this morning, Imus
said, "I've apologized enough," reported CNN.
Despite having been dropped by NBC, Imus still hosted his show from the MSNBC
studios in New
Jersey but did not appear on TV. "As you
know, MSNBC folded up yesterday, so we're just on the radio," said Imus. "I'm
not going to go talk to Larry King or Barbara Walters or anyone else."
CBS restated its position to temporarily suspend Imus
for two weeks without pay. The radio station "will continue to speak with all
concerned parties and monitor the situation closely," reported MSNBC.
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