Is Imus Safe In Boston?
by Brian Maloney, April 12th, 2007 at 12:48pm
Could Imus really survive in Boston, if nowhere else?
That’s the indication given by Greater Media, which owns Boston affiliate WTKK-FM. Beyond WFAN-AM in New York, it represents the I-Man’s only other major station still carrying the show.
From Jesse Noyes and Jessica Heslam in today’s Boston Herald:
Despite the mounting furor and fallout over embattled talk jock Don Imus’ racial remarks, Boston radio station WTKK is standing behind its morning man.
“I’m not going to take him off the air,” said Peter Smyth, chief executive of Greater Media Inc., which owns WTKK-FM (96.9).
“I would very much like to see him come back and see what he can do,” Smyth said last night moments after MSNBC anounced it was dumping Imus’ show. “If this behavior happens again, then all bets are off.”
While Smyth called Imus’ comments “indefensible,” he said he believed the aging yakker’s on-air apology was sincere.
MSNBC and CBS Radio, which produces “Imus in the Morning,” suspended Imus for two weeks after he called the mostly black Rutgers University women’s basketball team “nappy-headed hos” on his show last week. Imus was slapped with the suspension five days after he made the remarks that sparked public outcry.
Even if WTKK decides to keep Imus, there may not be a show to carry. Radio insiders expect CBS to drop him from WFAN and Westwood One to cease syndication as well.
And if he remains on the air, attracting advertisers could prove impossible.
As a result, unless WTKK intends to hire the 66-year-old host for a local Boston show, the decision is likely out of its hands.
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8 Comments
1. raccoonradio | April 12th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
BREAKING: CBS HAS FIRED IMUS
CNN:
>>CBS cancels Don Imus’ radio show, effective immediately, after uproar over his racist and sexist comments about Rutgers women’s basketball team.
2. Brian J. | April 12th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Stick a fork in him, he is done! Finally someone dropped the ax.
3. Thomas Bench | April 12th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
…CBS cancels Don Imus’ radio show, effective immediately, after uproar over his racist and sexist comments about Rutgers women’s basketball team….
This is not good news for anyone who actually cares about radio.
Regards,
TSB
4. raccoonradio | April 12th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
Update on WTKK (which is ‘considering its options’ for that morning slot), via Boston Radio Watch:
With WTKK’s Mike Barnicle filling in for
what was the Imus show nationally for the next 2 weeks, the Mike Barnicle hour (9-10 am) will have Jimmy Myers instead. Myers will also be on tonight and
tomorrow in place of tape delayed Bill O’Reilly
(7-9 pm) on 96.9
5. ~~~bjd~~~ | April 12th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
Hello Micheal Graham, goodbye WRKO.
Lets see, someone with talent vs. some washed up, convicted felon, hack.
If it were not for the Capin and Rush, WRKO would be done.
Lets get both of them off WRKO and on someplace else where they won’t be replaced with Red Sox or who knows what else.
My pick of WRKO in the Death pool looks better and better!
6. raccoonradio | April 13th, 2007 at 11:47 am
As noted in the post above this, the Myers-
to-9 am-for-now rumor was disputed though who knows
7. The Mole | April 13th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Hey BJD, give up the crack! You should have taken the Republican White House in the Death Pool. WRKO is rocking and this can only help. Keep listening for more and better advertisers, the future gets brighter every day.
Nevertheless, taking my partisan hat off for a minute, I think Imus got railroaded. He said something stupid and he’s a bad guy, but he got fired because the sponsors fled, not because CBS gives a rat’s ass about doing the right thing.
8. Christopher | April 17th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
WHAT WE HAVE LOST.
Don Imus’s personal culture of gut level grotesqueries (our example cited) made him culturally useful. His subconscious had a soundtrack. His painful, impulsive, unfiltered honesty meant that the Senators etc. that called in from either side of the aisle had better be straight shooters. Imus showed us the encouraging true sincere integrity of our greatest public servants. We saw who could absorb the cheap shot, chuckle, roll and give the straight answer. If he mocks your personal appearance you know you can expect no mercy on a clintonesque weasel answer.
This time Don, the unfiltered, true to form, did not filter for age(apparently children nor for gender(apparently the weaker sex),nor for race(apparently a helpless minority). Personally, I say it would be extremely offensive for Don Imus to select you as someone inappropriate to to rough up.
REQUEST: Many were upset by what Stephen Colbert said to President Bush. Please someone, post on YouTube what Don Imus said to Bill Clinton on the previous occasion.