Imus Fights for Job
MSNBC Anchor Apologizes for Offensive Comments
By Steve Donohue -- Multichannel News, 4/9/2007 10:40:00 AM
Don Imus fought to keep his job Monday, three days after the radio DJ and MSNBC morning host called the Rutgers University women’s basketball team “nappy-headed hos” during his broadcast.
Imus repeatedly apologized for his comments on his program Monday morning, as African-American community leaders, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton, called for NBC News and WFAN-AM, which broadcasts his morning show, to fire him.
“He crossed the line and there must be a penalty,” Sharpton said Monday afternoon on his radio program. Imus also appeared on the program.
Imus returned to MSNBC during his regularly scheduled slot 5:30 a.m.-9 a.m. Monday. But a source said NBC and MSNBC executives planned to meet Monday afternoon to discuss the future of the program, including NBC News president Steve Capus and NBC News senior vice president Phil Griffin, who runs MSNBC.
MSNBC distanced itself from Imus Friday, issuing a statement that noted that the program is not produced by the network. “We regret that his remarks were aired on MSNBC and apologize for these offensive comments,” MSNBC said in the statement.
Imus in the Morning is one of the most popular programs on MSNBC. It averaged 358,000 viewers Monday-Friday during the first quarter, an increase of 39% from the first quarter of 2006.
The program trailed CNN’s American Morning in the first quarter by 14,000 viewers. Fox News Channel dominates the morning ratings, averaging 695,000 viewers during the first quarter with Fox & Friends.
