Imus fans: Your wait is almost over!

Imus fans: Your wait is almost over!

Citadel Broadcasting is close to finalizing a contract with Don Imus that would bring the controversial radio host back to the airwaves, a person familiar with the discussions said Tuesday.

It was not immediately clear on what station or stations Imus would be heard, but Citadel owns WABC in New York, making its morning slot a logical destination.

Currently that spot is occupied by Ron Kuby and Curtis Sliwa.

Citadel and its CEO, Farid Suleman, have been rumored to be interested in Imus for months, and WABC long has been considered a logical platform for him to launch a comeback.

He would bring along his long-time newsman, Charles McCord, who last appeared on WFAN Aug. 31. Less clear is what role, if any, a more controversial member of Imus' old crew, Bernard McGuirk, would play. One possibility is a non-speaking role as a producer/writer.

Imus was fired by CBS Radio and removed from WFAN April 12, eight days after making comments directed at the Rutgers women's basketball team that many regarded as sexist and/or racist. His show also had been simulcast on MSNBC.

Imus fans: Your wait is almost over!

Citadel Broadcasting is close to finalizing a contract with Don Imus that would bring the controversial radio host back to the airwaves, a person familiar with the discussions said Tuesday.

It was not immediately clear on what station or stations Imus would be heard, but Citadel owns WABC in New York, making its morning slot a logical destination.

Currently that spot is occupied by Ron Kuby and Curtis Sliwa.

Citadel and its CEO, Farid Suleman, have been rumored to be interested in Imus for months, and WABC long has been considered a logical platform for him to launch a comeback.

He would bring along his long-time newsman, Charles McCord, who last appeared on WFAN Aug. 31. Less clear is what role, if any, a more controversial member of Imus' old crew, Bernard McGuirk, would play. One possibility is a non-speaking role as a producer/writer.

Imus was fired by CBS Radio and removed from WFAN April 12, eight days after making comments directed at the Rutgers women's basketball team that many regarded as sexist and/or racist. His show also had been simulcast on MSNBC.

Yea Neil Best has it on his blog and Allan Sniffen who is pretty reliable on these things has it on the NYMB here

http://www.musicradio77.com/wwwboard/messages/325036.html

Everybody is quoting Neil Best of Newsday on the Imus story. I have seen it everywhere. Neil is pretty good with his sources. So louie is going to be with Imus - huh?

Don Imus is the only scalp that media-matters has claimed, so far in their existence. It would be nice to see that scalp taken off the wall, and Imus ressurected. If not for the ceaseless efforts of the droogs of m-m to get all opinions off the air and print they don't approve of, this never would have happenned. Nobody heard the Imus-Rutgers remark, nobody paid attention.
M-M is read by the weasel newswriters buried in the newsrooms, and that is the totality of how this non-story became a story.

To date, they have no other "victories". Thank God.

Is Bernard not also a scalp of Media Matters, and would a non-speaking role constitute something of a moral victory for them?

Don Imus is the only scalp that media-matters has claimed, so far in their existence. It would be nice to see that scalp taken off the wall, and Imus ressurected. If not for the ceaseless efforts of the droogs of m-m to get all opinions off the air and print they don't approve of, this never would have happenned. Nobody heard the Imus-Rutgers remark, nobody paid attention.
M-M is read by the weasel newswriters buried in the newsrooms, and that is the totality of how this non-story became a story.

To date, they have no other "victories". Thank God.

It looks like they are going after Rush's scalp but probably won't get it.

Nobody heard the Imus-Rutgers remark, nobody paid attention.
.

This is probably true if you've ever looked at Imus' ratings. Nobody was listening at the time.

Does he have fans?

This is probably true if you've ever looked at Imus' ratings. Nobody was listening at the time.


Then there was no reason to kick him off the air, and bring pressure on his advertisers who were wasting money to play ads that nobody heard. Is that what you are saying?

Does he have fans?


I guess we'll find out when he returns to the air on ABC in December, and since you believe he has no fans, you must have no problem with that whatsoever.
Good.

Then there was no reason to kick him off the air, and bring pressure on his advertisers who were wasting money to play ads that nobody heard. Is that what you are saying?

Good point. If a tree falls in a forest with no one to hear it, then does it make a sound? And when Imus dies of old age in the near future, will anybody notice?

I posted this in the Mike and Chris rambler thread, but figured I would post it here also :

Anyone catch the segment they spent discussing Imus' return, it was around 5:40 or so (after the update).

First off they killed Newsday for the interview with some Adelphi professor and their critical outlook on Imus' return. Mike killed the quoted professor because they didn't know who actually hired Imus (professor said ABC, but Citadel actually hired him, and ABC is broadcasting is it). I gather the professor was a radio/TV type professor, so Mike said they should of known that.

Chris's beef w/Newsday of course was more simplistic. He went off on why are they interviewing people at Adelphi "out on freaking Long Island". Said they should of interviewed people from Rutgers. Also in describing the professor's take that Imus stands for "hate", he uncorked the aforementioned "I hated that the professor used the word hate"

Then Chris took shots at the school saying Adelphi is no Harvard of Long Island or anything like that. (we need Mohawk Mike to tell us how Adelphi stacks up academically. :) )

Then Chris said Imus better not bring Russert back on his show. He was very adamant about that. Mike kinda agreed with him, but you could tell that Mike was resigned to the fact that Imus would probably have Russert on at some point. Get ready for a Russo rant if Russert appears on Imus.

The good/bad news (depending on your position) is a done deal. Imus will return on December 3rd. Very interesting that he will take the Curtis & Kuby slot. I can't imagine they are happy about it.

I guess it is Imus' decision to have on his show who he wants - just like Russo and Francessa.

http://www.electronicvalley.org/DERBY/hike/hike2-09.jpgGood point. If a tree falls in a forest with no one to hear it, then does it make a sound? And when Imus dies of old age in the near future, will anybody notice?

Joe Scarborough just got a new studio over at MSNBC. Does this mean, Imus gets his old digs bag when he returns?

Going back on radio has nothing to do with returning to TV. MSNBC is not rehiring Imus.