New York – CBS Radio and MSNBC said Monday that they were suspending Don Imus’ morning talk show for two weeks as a protest grew about his reference last week to members of the Rutgers women’s basketball team as “nappy-headed hos.”
The suspension begins next Monday.
MSNBC, which telecasts the radio show, said Imus’ expressions of regret and embarrassment, coupled with his stated dedication to changing the show’s discourse, made it believe suspension was the appropriate response.
Imus, who has made a career of cranky insults in the morning, was fighting for his job following the joke that by his own admission went “way too far.” He continued to apologize Monday, both on his show and on a syndicated radio program hosted by the Rev. Al Sharpton, who is among several black leaders demanding his ouster.
Imus isn’t the most popular radio talk-show host – the trade publication Talkers ranks him the 14th most influential – but his audience is heavy on the political and media elite that advertisers pay a premium to reach. Authors, journalists and politicians are frequent guests – and targets for insults.
He has urged critics to recognize that his show is a comedy that spreads insults broadly. Imus or his cast has called Colin Powell a “weasel,” New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson a “fat sissy” and former Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado “the guy from ‘F Troop.”‘
On Sharpton’s program Monday, Imus said that “our agenda is to be funny, and sometimes we go too far. And this time we went way too far.”
Imus made his remark the day after the Rutgers team, which includes eight black women, lost the NCAA women’s championship game to Tennessee. He was speaking with producer Bernard McGuirk and said, “That’s some rough girls from Rutgers. Man, they got tattoos …”
“Some hardcore hos,” McGuirk said.
“That’s some nappy-headed hos there, I’m going to tell you that,” Imus said.
On his show Monday, Imus called himself “a good person” who made a bad mistake.
Rutgers players said they planned to make a public statement today.
