MedicCook
04-12-2007, 02:01 PM
Imus: 'I've apologized enough'
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Amid the outcry over his on-air racial slur last week, shock jock Don Imus said Thursday that he had "apologized enough" and that he will not go on "some talk show tour."
"I'm not going to go talk to Larry King or Barbara Walters or anyone else," Imus said on his radio show, which originates from WFAN-AM in New York and is syndicated nationally by Westwood One, both of which are managed by CBS Corp.
"The only other people I want to talk to are these young women at the team, and then that's it," Imus said.
He was referring to the members of the Rutgers University women's basketball team, whom he described as "nappy-headed hos" the day after the team lost the NCAA championship to the University of Tennessee. (Gallery: Other controversial comments aired on Imus show)
He has repeatedly apologized for those remarks. Team members have agreed to meet with him privately, but so far no meeting has taken place.
"It gets said. Kids get hurt," he said. "At some point -- I'm not sure when -- I'm going to go talk to the team and that's all I'm interested in doing."
Imus' comments Thursday came a day after NBC Universal decided to part ways with him completely, thus canceling the simulcast of his show on MSNBC.
Despite being dropped by NBC, Imus hosted his show from the MSNBC studios in New Jersey. He did not appear on TV.
"As you know, MSNBC folded up yesterday, so we're just on the radio," he said.
Imus was broadcasting his 18th annual radio charity fundraiser, which has pulled in $50 million since 1990. It ends Friday.
"This may be our last radiothon, so we need to raise $100 million dollars," Imus said, chuckling.
According to The Associated Press, Imus raised $1 million in the first five hours of Thursday's fundraiser.
On Wednesday, appearing on CNN's "The Situation Room," presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D.-Illinois, blasted NBC for airing a host who makes "derogatory statements toward women and minorities.
"I've got two young daughters who I hope will be athletes. And, you know, the notion that somehow they would be degraded and insulted, and that that would pass as humor, and that NBC would be running that over the public airwaves I think is atrocious," he said.
Imus discusses cancellation
Earlier in the week, CBS Radio issued a statement announcing a two-week suspension that starts Monday.
"What matters to us most is that the men and women of NBC Universal have confidence in the values we have set for this company," the statement said. "This is the only decision that makes that possible." (Your e-mails on Imus)
Imus discussed the cancellation on his morning show.
"As you know MSNBC folded up yesterday, so we're just on the radio," he said, adding "sometimes it doesn't snow on Christmas."
On Wednesday, a CBS board member, Bruce Gordon, called for Imus to be fired from WFAN.
"His remarks are so significant that I believe that the right outcome is for him to be terminated," said Gordon, former president of the NAACP.
The head coach of the Rutgers women's basketball team, Vivian Stringer, told "The Situation Room" Wednesday that she was "stunned" and "surprised" by MSNBC's move.
"I think that it's probably a victory for the people," said Stringer, who said she was "proud" of corporate executives who "understand that we can do better."
Civil rights activist Al Sharpton said MSNBC's move "was the right thing to do." As for CBS, Sharpton scheduled a rally outside the network's New York offices Thursday, where he hopes to pressure CBS into canceling Imus' morning show, a statement from a media agency representing Sharpton said.
"If CBS follows suit as NBC has done, it gives a chilling message to those that will use the public airwaves in a way that is gender-biased and race-biased," Sharpton told "The Situation Room."
He also said he intends to complain to the Federal Communications Commission about the matter.
"Somewhere we must draw the line in what is tolerable in mainstream media," he said Sunday. "We cannot keep going through offending us and then apologizing and then acting like it never happened. Somewhere we've got to stop this."
Imus' comments also prompted at least eight companies to pull their ads from Imus' show: Staples, General Motors, Sprint Nextel, GlaxoSmithKline, Procter & Gamble, PetMed Express, American Express and Bigelow Tea.
Rutgers players express 'hurt, anger, disgust'
Imus "has stolen a moment of pure grace from us," the captain of the Rutgers women's basketball team, Essence Carson, said.
Carson and other players spoke at a news conference Tuesday in their first public statements since Imus' inflammatory remarks. (Players talk of hurt, seeking understanding)
"I would like to express our team's great hurt, anger and disgust toward the words of Mr. Don Imus," Carson said. (Watch as Carson says the issue is "about more than a game of basketball" )
Imus used the derogatory phrase after the underdog team lost the NCAA women's title to the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers. He apologized on Friday and Monday before his suspension.
Other players echoed Carson's reaction, saying Imus' insulting words and the resulting controversy overshadowed their achievements.
Stringer and Rutgers players are scheduled to appear Thursday on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
On Wednesday morning, Stacy Brann, Rutgers team spokeswoman, said the players will meet with Imus this week. The day and location are still to be determined, she said.
Several players said they would welcome the chance for a face-to-face meeting with Imus.
"I would like to speak to him personally and ... ask him, after you've met me personally, do you still feel in this category that I'm still a 'ho' as a woman and as a black, African-American woman at that?" said Kia Vaughn, a sophomore center.
"I achieve a lot, and unless they have given this name of 'ho' a new definition, then that is not what I am."
Stringer praised the accomplishments and character of the team members, five of whom are freshmen. (Coach builds winners, despite adversity)
"They are young ladies of class, distinction, they are articulate, they are brilliant, they are gifted. They are God's representatives in every sense of the word," she said. (Read Stringer's complete comments)
http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/12/imus.rutgers/index.html
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Amid the outcry over his on-air racial slur last week, shock jock Don Imus said Thursday that he had "apologized enough" and that he will not go on "some talk show tour."
"I'm not going to go talk to Larry King or Barbara Walters or anyone else," Imus said on his radio show, which originates from WFAN-AM in New York and is syndicated nationally by Westwood One, both of which are managed by CBS Corp.
"The only other people I want to talk to are these young women at the team, and then that's it," Imus said.
He was referring to the members of the Rutgers University women's basketball team, whom he described as "nappy-headed hos" the day after the team lost the NCAA championship to the University of Tennessee. (Gallery: Other controversial comments aired on Imus show)
He has repeatedly apologized for those remarks. Team members have agreed to meet with him privately, but so far no meeting has taken place.
"It gets said. Kids get hurt," he said. "At some point -- I'm not sure when -- I'm going to go talk to the team and that's all I'm interested in doing."
Imus' comments Thursday came a day after NBC Universal decided to part ways with him completely, thus canceling the simulcast of his show on MSNBC.
Despite being dropped by NBC, Imus hosted his show from the MSNBC studios in New Jersey. He did not appear on TV.
"As you know, MSNBC folded up yesterday, so we're just on the radio," he said.
Imus was broadcasting his 18th annual radio charity fundraiser, which has pulled in $50 million since 1990. It ends Friday.
"This may be our last radiothon, so we need to raise $100 million dollars," Imus said, chuckling.
According to The Associated Press, Imus raised $1 million in the first five hours of Thursday's fundraiser.
On Wednesday, appearing on CNN's "The Situation Room," presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D.-Illinois, blasted NBC for airing a host who makes "derogatory statements toward women and minorities.
"I've got two young daughters who I hope will be athletes. And, you know, the notion that somehow they would be degraded and insulted, and that that would pass as humor, and that NBC would be running that over the public airwaves I think is atrocious," he said.
Imus discusses cancellation
Earlier in the week, CBS Radio issued a statement announcing a two-week suspension that starts Monday.
"What matters to us most is that the men and women of NBC Universal have confidence in the values we have set for this company," the statement said. "This is the only decision that makes that possible." (Your e-mails on Imus)
Imus discussed the cancellation on his morning show.
"As you know MSNBC folded up yesterday, so we're just on the radio," he said, adding "sometimes it doesn't snow on Christmas."
On Wednesday, a CBS board member, Bruce Gordon, called for Imus to be fired from WFAN.
"His remarks are so significant that I believe that the right outcome is for him to be terminated," said Gordon, former president of the NAACP.
The head coach of the Rutgers women's basketball team, Vivian Stringer, told "The Situation Room" Wednesday that she was "stunned" and "surprised" by MSNBC's move.
"I think that it's probably a victory for the people," said Stringer, who said she was "proud" of corporate executives who "understand that we can do better."
Civil rights activist Al Sharpton said MSNBC's move "was the right thing to do." As for CBS, Sharpton scheduled a rally outside the network's New York offices Thursday, where he hopes to pressure CBS into canceling Imus' morning show, a statement from a media agency representing Sharpton said.
"If CBS follows suit as NBC has done, it gives a chilling message to those that will use the public airwaves in a way that is gender-biased and race-biased," Sharpton told "The Situation Room."
He also said he intends to complain to the Federal Communications Commission about the matter.
"Somewhere we must draw the line in what is tolerable in mainstream media," he said Sunday. "We cannot keep going through offending us and then apologizing and then acting like it never happened. Somewhere we've got to stop this."
Imus' comments also prompted at least eight companies to pull their ads from Imus' show: Staples, General Motors, Sprint Nextel, GlaxoSmithKline, Procter & Gamble, PetMed Express, American Express and Bigelow Tea.
Rutgers players express 'hurt, anger, disgust'
Imus "has stolen a moment of pure grace from us," the captain of the Rutgers women's basketball team, Essence Carson, said.
Carson and other players spoke at a news conference Tuesday in their first public statements since Imus' inflammatory remarks. (Players talk of hurt, seeking understanding)
"I would like to express our team's great hurt, anger and disgust toward the words of Mr. Don Imus," Carson said. (Watch as Carson says the issue is "about more than a game of basketball" )
Imus used the derogatory phrase after the underdog team lost the NCAA women's title to the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers. He apologized on Friday and Monday before his suspension.
Other players echoed Carson's reaction, saying Imus' insulting words and the resulting controversy overshadowed their achievements.
Stringer and Rutgers players are scheduled to appear Thursday on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
On Wednesday morning, Stacy Brann, Rutgers team spokeswoman, said the players will meet with Imus this week. The day and location are still to be determined, she said.
Several players said they would welcome the chance for a face-to-face meeting with Imus.
"I would like to speak to him personally and ... ask him, after you've met me personally, do you still feel in this category that I'm still a 'ho' as a woman and as a black, African-American woman at that?" said Kia Vaughn, a sophomore center.
"I achieve a lot, and unless they have given this name of 'ho' a new definition, then that is not what I am."
Stringer praised the accomplishments and character of the team members, five of whom are freshmen. (Coach builds winners, despite adversity)
"They are young ladies of class, distinction, they are articulate, they are brilliant, they are gifted. They are God's representatives in every sense of the word," she said. (Read Stringer's complete comments)
http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/12/imus.rutgers/index.html