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Is Don Imus Making a Comeback?
By Aysha Hussain
July 05, 2007
People are talking. Word on the street is that Don Imus is planning a comeback after his infamous firing last April. What's the real story?
The rumors first began after fellow WFAN radio employees and hosts of "Mike and the Mad Dog" Mike Francesa and Chris Russo told The New York Post their view of the upcoming fall lineup, which to both his fans and his critics suggest a possible return for the shock jock.
"When we return to our regular schedule this September, I hope the team will once again be complete," said Francesa during the interview.
A spokesperson for CBS Radio would not confirm or deny Francesa's comment as posted on the online column Journal-isms, a web site by the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education.
Even though Imus reportedly has received several lucrative job offers since his firing, he is unable to accept any deals until he settles the lawsuit he brought against CBS, WFAN's owner, for breach of contract. According to the lawsuit, CBS still owes Imus the $40 million left in his contract despite his abrupt dismissal. Some feel CBS might try to avoid the legal battle over his current contract by giving him his job back instead of spending years compensating Imus for violating his contract.
But did Imus ever really leave? Black political commentator Earl Ofari Hutchinson believes the influence of Imus is alive and well. Despite reports of advertisers pulling the plug on Imus, Hutchinson says the Imus fanbase still remains strong, as posted on his web site The Hutchinson Political Report.
"The sponsor pullout was an image face-saver, and not necessarily a permanent bye-bye to Imus," says Hutchinson. "He made money for CBS, and he can make money for them again."
An article in the New York Daily News reported that WFAN was caught airing old episodes of the Imus show late last week. Mark Chernoff, WFAN program director, commented on the broadcast, saying Imus' contribution to the station could not be ignored. "He was such a big part of the station for all those years," said Chernoff.
It may be unclear whether Imus returns to WFAN anytime soon, but in the meantime, Howard Kurtz, a columnist for the Washington Post, reported that MSNBC's Joe Scarborough will take over the old "Imus in the Morning" time slot.
"MSNBC executives have decided that Scarborough is the next Don Imus—not that anyone could replace Imus—and are finalizing the details for 'Morning Joe' to permanently take over the 6-to-9 morning slot. And CBS Radio, which syndicated Imus until his April firing, is negotiating whether some of its stations will carry the 'Joe' show, as well," said Kurtz.
(See also: The Imus Fallout: MSNBC Pulls Plug on Controversial Host)
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