Toaster Oven

NEW YORK -- CBS fired Don Imus from his radio show Thursday, the finale to a stunning fall for one of the nation's most prominent broadcasters.
Imus initially was suspended for two weeks for calling the Rutgers women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos" on the air last week, but outrage continued to grow and advertisers bolted from his programs.
"There has been much discussion of the effect language like this has on our young people, particularly young women of color trying to make their way in this society," CBS President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves said in announcing the decision. "That consideration has weighed most heavily on our minds as we made our decision."
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</td></tr></tbody></table> Rutgers women's basketball team spokeswoman Stacey Brann said the team did not have an immediate comment on Imus' firing but would be issuing a statement later Thursday evening.Time Magazine once named the cantankerous broadcaster as one of the 25 Most Influential People in America, and he was a member of the National Broadcaster Hall of Fame.
But Imus found himself at the center of a storm after his comments. Protests ensued, and one by one, sponsors pulled their ads from Imus' show. On Wednesday, MSNBC dropped the simulcast of Imus' show.
The Rev. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson met with Moonves to advocate Imus' removal, promising a rally outside CBS headquarters Saturday and an effort to persuade more advertisers to abandon Imus.
Sumner Redstone, chairman of the CBS Corp. board and its chief stockholder, told Newsweek that he had expected Moonves to "do the right thing," although it wasn't clear what he thought that was.
The news came down in the middle of Imus' Radiothon, which has raised more than $40 million since 1990 for good causes. The Radiothon had raised more than $1.3 million Thursday before Imus learned that he lost his job.
"This may be our last Radiothon, so we need to raise about $100 million," Imus cracked at the start of the event.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

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Brandon

What can be said. It's sad to see someone's career end just like that but he had no business saying what he did. He got what he deserved.

Dakstang

I don't think that he should have been fired.

He publicly apologized, he went on Al Sharpton's radio show and apologized, and he is going to meet with the Rutgers team and their parents and apologize. On top of that he was suspended for two weeks.

I think that was enough.

I think it is sad that a persons whole career can end because of this situation.

Once a white person is labeled racist and Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton get involved, that is the end for them.

What about the black guy who said that all white people should be killed? Was any white people claiming he was racist and showing outrage about it? No, because they were afraid of being labeled racist themselves.

This type of situation is getting out of hand in the U.S.


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__________________

There'll be no sorrow there, no more burdens to bear,
No more sickness, no more pain, no more parting over there;
And forever I will be with the One who died for me,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

DD

He was fired because his ratings suck and his sponsors all dumped him. He offically lost all his pull.

Howard Stern gets away with stuff because he is rating and his overall program format is different.

Dak, what if he said "Stupid ass one-toothed inbreds from West Virginia" about the West Virginia football team and meant it? Would you be offended?

I do think though that if he was pulling in huge ratings it would have only been a suspension also. Personally I think the guy sucked on the radio and should have been out of a job a long time ago, comments or not. See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya.

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Dakstang

I have never watched the show or had a desire to watch the show.

It wouldn't matter if someone made that comment about W.V. really because no one would be calling for anyone to be fired. A public apology would suffice.

The comment was really stupid, and he should have apologized and been suspended for a while.

End of.

__________________

There'll be no sorrow there, no more burdens to bear,
No more sickness, no more pain, no more parting over there;
And forever I will be with the One who died for me,
What a day, glorious day that will be.