Apr 12, 2007 4:15 pm US/Eastern
Sharpton: Moonves Considering Firing Imus
CBS President Also Meets With Jesse Jackson, Father Of Rutgers Player
CBS 2's Magee Hickey, Deborah Garcia, and Brendan Keefe contributed to this report.
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
-
-
MSNBC announced on April 11 it will no longer simulcast Don Imus' radio show. Pressure is being put on CBS to fire the legedary shock jock as well.
-
-
Imus met with The Rev. Al Sharpton on Monday to discuss the controversial comments.
CBS
-
-
CBS Chairman Les Moonves met with Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson on Thursday.
AP
With Don Imus ousted from his television gig on MSNBC, Reverend Al Sharpton has been pushing for CBS to follow suit and take the shock jock off the airwaves. Sharpton, along with Rev. Jesse Jackson, met Thursday with CBS President and CEO Les Moonves, and says that the plug may soon be pulled on Imus' radio show.
"He said that he's considering it. He's talking to a lot of people. I said NBC fired him, there is no long thing to discuss," Sharpton said after the meeting. "He listened he talked candidly, we walked and talked in the broader room and I said I would leave to do my radio show."
Jackson also believes that Moonves will fire Imus, following his controversial comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team in which he referred to them as "nappy-headed hos."
"I get the impression that the president of CBS has the message and they also have their own standards to uphold," Jackson said.
Sharpton organized a rally outside of CBS's corporate headquarters on W. 52nd Street and 6th Avenue Thursday morning, but due to the heavy rains plaguing the city, he spoke briefly and said an actual protest would be rescheduled for Saturday at noon. Still, Sharpton did get some shots in on Imus, calling for CBS to "see the light" and fire him as NBC has.
There's a growing list of major companies that have pulled commercials since the controversy began. Such companies include American Express, General Motors, Proctor & Gamble, Sprint, Nextel, and Staples. But Imus has refused to hand in his resignation and says he plans on meeting with the Rutgers basketball team in person.
Edwards On Imus Spat: 'I Believe In Forgiveness'
D.J. Fired For Having Callers Imitate Imus"I'm not going to go talk to Larry King or Barbara Walters or anyone else," Imus said on his radio show. "The only other people I want to talk to are these young women at the team, and then that's it," Imus said.
Imus, whose show is aired on the CBS-owned WFAN, continued Thursday with his 18th annual Radiothon held at the Hard Rock Cafe where he'd already raised over a million dollars for three charities. "This may be our last Radiothon, so we need to raise about $100 million. ... Money is more important than ever," Imus said.
The fundraiser has brought in over $40 million since it began.
Meanwhile the Rutgers women's basketball team appeared Thursday on the Oprah Winfrey show to discuss the controversy. "Not only did he steal our dreams, he hurt our character of Rutgers University, our state, and all who have been associated," Rutgers Head Coach C. Vivian Stringer said on the show.
Still, there is no word as to whether CBS will cut Imus' program from the radio.
CBS Radio issued this statement: "During that time, CBS Radio will continue to speak with all concerned parties and monitor the situation closely."
"When you look at the symbols of both stations…The peacock spread its wings correctly," Sharpton said. "I want to know what the eye in the middle of the CBS emblem is looking at."
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
SLIDESHOW: Celebrity Foot-In-Mouth Disease
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Schumer: Dems Ready To Go-It-Alone On Health Care 13 mins ago 
Bronx Fire Leaves Dozens Homeless Before Holidays 18 mins ago 
Stumble It!
Comments