Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

bb0ys

macrumors member
Mar 14, 2003
58
0
Not a chance

I'll bet someone a beer that Imus doesn't get picked up by Sirius or XM.

The reason satellite pays for content is to acquire more subscribers. Imus had terribly low ratings when people could listen to him for free. He can't bring over more subscribers to satellite.
 

Thomas Veil

macrumors 68030
Feb 14, 2004
2,636
8,862
Much greener pastures
How could he have been on for years and been paid well for it with "terribly low ratings"?

That said, if you clicked on this topic thinking you'd be reading a news article about...well, Don Imus in talks with satellite radio providers...you'd be mistaken.
 

MacNut

macrumors Core
Jan 4, 2002
22,995
9,973
CT
If anything happens it won't be until after the dust settles. I think in about 6 months you will see him around again.
 

nbs2

macrumors 68030
Mar 31, 2004
2,719
491
A geographical oddity
That said, if you clicked on this topic thinking you'd be reading a news article about...well, Don Imus in talks with satellite radio providers...you'd be mistaken.

I thought that it was pretty stupid....

Anywho, I do think he will eventually move to atraditional broadcast. His fame is even higher, this mess should blow over, and he'll still be a pretty good host. I just don't see him ever talking to Sal Rosenberg in public ever again...
 

Warbrain

macrumors 603
Jun 28, 2004
5,702
293
Chicago, IL
I don't think he'll go to either XM or Sirius. He wasn't that listened to while on CBS Radio even though he brought in a good amount of money - this being that he had a fairly loyal fan base, even if small, and would get money for both MSNBC and CBS for the simulcast - but I don't think he'll return to terrestrial radio, either. I think he's done. No one will want to touch him and I don't blame them. I never found his style great - he's the main reason why I would not watch MSNBC in the morning - and was a horrible host. But hey, all the better for me now that he's gone. :D
 

Sun Baked

macrumors G5
May 19, 2002
14,937
157
Time for him to act as old as he looks and retire.

Or he could team up with CourtTV, add a little volume to his hair, and become the Phil Spector standin.
 

EricNau

Moderator emeritus
Apr 27, 2005
10,728
281
San Francisco, CA
I don't think he'll go to either XM or Sirius. He wasn't that listened to while on CBS Radio even though he brought in a good amount of money - this being that he had a fairly loyal fan base...
A loyal fan base that would be willing to signup with sat. radio if he made the transition over? Sounds like money for XM/Sirius.
 

BornAgainMac

macrumors 604
Feb 4, 2004
7,281
5,250
Florida Resident
How could somebody as rich as him look so homeless? What ever happened to Kramer after his remarks? Kramer was 10 times worst.

Imus might as well just retire. He is done.
 

SactoGuy18

macrumors 601
Sep 11, 2006
4,336
1,498
Sacramento, CA USA
You can forget that idea for now.

The President of Sirius Satellite Radio, Mel Karmazin, was a former colleague of Les Moonves when Viacom owned CBS. As such, the friendship between the two will likely prevent Don Imus from going to satellite radio for some time to come.
 

MacNut

macrumors Core
Jan 4, 2002
22,995
9,973
CT
You can forget that idea for now.

The President of Sirius Satellite Radio, Mel Karmazin, was a former colleague of Les Moonves when Viacom owned CBS. As such, the friendship between the two will likely prevent Don Imus from going to satellite radio for some time to come.
That didn't stop Howard.
 

Aeolius

macrumors 6502a
Jul 25, 2002
932
70
... and yet intolerant and insensitive idiots like Bill Maher remain on the air... amazing, Bill Maher once compared the mentally disabled to dogs... yet he still has a job... where's the outrage, eh?
 

solvs

macrumors 603
Jun 25, 2002
5,684
1
LaLaLand, CA
... and yet intolerant and insensitive idiots like Bill Maher remain on the air... amazing, Bill Maher once compared the mentally disabled to dogs... yet he still has a job... where's the outrage, eh?

Huh? I watch Bill Maher all the time, and have never heard him say anything like that. I'll admit he says a lot of things that deserve :rolleyes: especially when he's trying to be controversial, same with Howard Stern, but as we were discussing in the other thread about Imus, context is important.

And as for the outrage, there is plenty of outrage to go around. How many media talking heads out there have said far worse, and have had nothing happen to them other than people being pissed off for a few weeks? Some people are paid to be jerks, and I suspect Imus will be no different when he gets a new job and a lot more listeners thanks to the controversy.
 

nbs2

macrumors 68030
Mar 31, 2004
2,719
491
A geographical oddity
Huh? I watch Bill Maher all the time, and have never heard him say anything like that. I'll admit he says a lot of things that deserve :rolleyes: especially when he's trying to be controversial, same with Howard Stern, but as we were discussing in the other thread about Imus, context is important.

Would sir care for a Link?
 

Aeolius

macrumors 6502a
Jul 25, 2002
932
70
While we're at it, add Nike to the list of companies that I have placed on eternal boycott, for their blatant insensitivities. link
 

Jerry Spoon

macrumors 6502a
Jan 8, 2002
624
0
Historic St. Charles
... and yet intolerant and insensitive idiots like Bill Maher remain on the air... amazing, Bill Maher once compared the mentally disabled to dogs... yet he still has a job... where's the outrage, eh?

There was outrage enough for the article above to be posted. Also, this isn't the first offensive thing Don Imus has said by a long shot. He's said several newsworthy things that have offended others. This was just the last straw. In a similar way, Bill Maher said many offensive things until he was finally removed from ABC. Now he's on HBO, a pay premium network, much like Don Imus may consider going to satellite radio...if they're interested in him.

On that note, with talks of a merger, I can't imagine they're interested in spending the money or touching an individual who is so controversial at this time. Why bring negative attention when congress and the FCC are looking at you?
 

Thomas Veil

macrumors 68030
Feb 14, 2004
2,636
8,862
Much greener pastures
... and yet intolerant and insensitive idiots like Bill Maher remain on the air... amazing, Bill Maher once compared the mentally disabled to dogs... yet he still has a job... where's the outrage, eh?
I saw your link. Maher actually had a point, he was just very tactless in the way he said it. There's a huge difference, too, between the things Imus says, which are mainly for shock value, and the things Maher says, which are to illuminate an issue.

The President of Sirius Satellite Radio, Mel Karmazin, was a former colleague of Les Moonves when Viacom owned CBS. As such, the friendship between the two will likely prevent Don Imus from going to satellite radio for some time to come.
Moonves was put into both a financial corner (advertiser cancellations) and political corner (Sumner Redstone telling him to "do the right thing"). I don't think he had any choice.

Maybe better than Glenn Beck?
Who isn't?
 

solvs

macrumors 603
Jun 25, 2002
5,684
1
LaLaLand, CA
Would sir care for a Link?
Ok, I wasn't watching then. He was funny on Comedy Central, and I started watching again after a few episodes on HBO. I missed most of the ABC days. He said a lot of things back then to get attention, and was fired for it. As I said, he often says and does :rolleyes: worthy things. Not sure what the context was, but I won't defend it. But I would still compare him to Howard Stern, or Dennis Miller when he was funny. No where near as bad as someone like Glenn Beck, who's besides being a liar is just offensive without being funny, or his former bff Ann Coulter, who's even pissed him off.

He has said some pretty bad things on HBO too, but I still enjoy his show even if he's a jerk sometimes. Actually, especially if he's a jerk. There, I think it's almost expected of him. And the best part is when someone knocks him down a peg when he deserves it.

Personally, though, I'm a Jon Stewart fan. :)
 

calli2

macrumors newbie
Apr 25, 2006
2
0
Minnesota
How could somebody as rich as him look so homeless? What ever happened to Kramer after his remarks? Kramer was 10 times worst.

Imus might as well just retire. He is done.

I hardly think Don Imus is analogous to either Kramer or Glenn Beck! Don Imus used some vulgar derogatory words when he commented on the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team but they were said without malice. Kramer, in his little tirade, went totally ballistic -- spewing venom and hate for 5+ minutes. Glenn Beck is more your everyday right-wing bigot.

If you've watched Imus for awhile (several years, in my case), you know that he really is not a racist (although Bernie and Sid Rosenberg certainly appear to be). Unfortunately, for the last 30 years he has been in the habit of using incredibly vulgar words during the part of his show when he is bantering with Bernie & Sid.

I agree that he needed to be confronted about the language -- but I think a 2 week suspension would've sufficed. He was genuinely horrified when he really thought about the implications of what he said -- and I believe he would have been true to his word re: working hard to change his show and use it partly as a forum to examine various aspects of racism in this society.

To fire him abruptly and permanently seemed to me (and the majority of others -- judging by all the blogs, articles, etc. I've read during the last week) to be a bit harsh. It seemed hypocritical, to say the least, for all the big sponsors (who've made millions from his show) to suddenly back out -- when he's been doing the same thing for years. I'm not condoning his behavior -- it really is unacceptable for him to blithely continue on in the same vein -- but I think the public humiliation (actually, "stoning" would be a more accurate way of describing it!) was quite enough.

As one political analyst who was a frequent guest on Imus put it, "The show was really kind of schizophrenic -- part 'salon' and part 'shock jock'." With regard to his audience, his numbers had been growing rapidly over the last few months and he had a very wide base of radio listeners.

Also, an appearance on his show was considered highly desirable by a host of well-known politicians, authors, musicians, and journalists. His show provided a format quite different from other talk shows: He allowed his guests plenty of time to talk -- without interruption -- and was good at drawing them out. They respected him and felt relaxed enough on his show to really open up. Over the years they shut their eyes to the vulgar banter and, in this sense, bear some responsibility for "enabling" him.

He has done so much good for so many people.... I really think he deserves another chance! (He almost single-handedly got the death benefit for veterans' families raised from $12,000 to $250,000; he was instrumental in getting the Intrepid Heroes state-of-the-art rehabilitation hospital for veterans built rapidly; he and his wife have dedicated themselves to developing the Imus Ranch -- solely for the purpose of giving groups of children with cancer a wonderful weeklong experience at the ranch; and they also have put tremendous effort into furthering research on autism, sickle cell anemia, childrens' malignancies and other pediatric diseases.)

calli2
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.