"Shock jock" Imus finally faces music

By Arthur Spiegelman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pioneering U.S. "shock jock" Don Imus thrived for more than 30 years on radio by insulting everyone -- blacks, Jews, Arabs, homosexuals and women. On Thursday, he got fired for finally spewing out one insult too many.

The move by CBS Radio to get rid of the bilious broadcaster who made them millions came after a storm over his calling the mostly black Rutgers University women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos," a term that was sexist, racist and odious all at once.

Unless you were an accountant working for a network or an A-list personality waiting to appear on his show, Imus came across as a hard man to like. Often his apologies were insults.

Take the time in December 2004, when Imus referred to publishers of a book called "The Christmas Thief" as "thieving Jews." Later, he apologized, saying the phrase "thieving Jews" was "redundant."

The list goes on and on: he has called Arabs "towelheads" and he said of an African-American female journalist then working for The New York Times: "Isn't the Times wonderful? It lets the cleaning woman cover the White House?"

Reporter Gwen Ifill's supposed offense was that she had declined to appear on his show.

After his remark about the Rutgers team unleashed a firestorm of anger, Imus had to apologize and do it in a way that people believed him.

It turned out it was something he was not used to doing or particularly good at. Anyway it did not matter. His advertisers dumped him, MSNBC dropped its television simulcast of his radio show and on Thursday, CBS dropped the radio show.

CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves said in a statement, "From the outset, I believe all of us have been deeply upset and repulsed by the statements that were made on our air about the young women who represented Rutgers University ... with such class, energy and talent."

CBS Corp. made millions from the show and there was speculation it would do its best to save it. But a tidal wave of public opinion forced the network's hand and one of radio's dominant personalities was out of a job after helping to redefine the medium as a place for rude talk but sometimes serious debate.

'I-MAN'

Michael Harrison, editor and publisher of Talkers, a trade publication on talk radio, said Imus was "estimated to be worth about $20 to $25 million a year to CBS and upward of a $100 million to the radio industry overall through his syndicated programs on affiliated stations."

Despite, or maybe because of Imus' gruff, locker-room demeanor, his radio show had become a magnet for discussion, both freewheeling and foul.

A Who's Who of the Washington political establishment lined up to be on his show and schmooze with the "IMan," his popular nickname.

Connecticut Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd announced recently on the show he was running for president. Being on Imus allowed politicians to let down their hair and seem like a regular person to about 2.75 million listeners a week.