GOOD NEWS: More Big-time Companies Stop adverting on Imus

[Massive G]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=adgjhlyhgE8M&refer=us#

GM, Sprint Halt Ads on Don Imus Show, Joining Exodus

By Crayton Harrison and Greg Bensinger

April 11 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Corp. and Sprint Nextel Corp. suspended advertising on Don Imus's show, joining at least four other advertisers in protesting the radio host's racially charged comments.

The companies were the two largest advertisers on Imus's MSNBC simulcast, spending more than $1 million combined last year, according to New York-based researcher TNS Media Intelligence.

GM, the world's biggest carmaker, halted advertising indefinitely, spokeswoman Ryndee Carney said. Sprint, the third- biggest mobile-phone company, did the same. The companies follow Staples Inc., Procter & Gamble Co., TD Ameritrade and Bigelow Tea in refusing to advertise after Imus called the Rutgers University women's basketball team ``nappy-headed hos'' on April 4.

``We do not want our advertising associated with content which we, our customers and the public find offensive,'' Sara Krueger, a spokeswoman for Reston, Virginia-based Sprint Nextel said in an e-mail.

The defection of advertisers may step up pressure on CBS Radio and MSNBC, which this week suspended Imus for two weeks because of the remarks.

Civil-rights leaders including Rev. Al Sharpton have called for Imus's dismissal. Bruce Gordon, the former head of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and now a director of CBS Corp., told the Associated Press today that he hopes Imus is fired.

``He's crossed the line, he's violated our community,'' Gordon said, according to the Associated Press. ``He needs to face the consequence of that violation.''

Imus Apology

Imus has apologized and yesterday said he will serve the suspension ``with dignity.'' Team members yesterday said they plan to meet with Imus to hear him apologize in person.

Shares of New York-based CBS, owner of CBS Radio, fell 41 cents to $30.99 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. Shares of Fairfield, Connecticut-based General Electric, owner of MSNBC, rose 7 cents to $34.95. Shares of New York-based Westwood One Inc., which syndicates the show in the U.S., fell 5 cents to $6.79.

Karen Mateo, a spokeswoman for CBS Radio, declined to comment. Jeremy Gaines, a spokesman for MSNBC, and Peter Sessa, a spokesman for Westwood One, didn't immediately return calls seeking comment.

Detroit-based GM spent $691,700 last year on Imus's MSNBC show, according to TNS. Carney wouldn't comment on how much the carmaker spends. Sprint spent $363,000, TNS said.

TD Ameritrade Holding Corp., the online brokerage, is seeking to remove itself from the MSNBC advertising rotation that includes Imus's show, said spokeswoman Kim Hillyer. TD Ameritrade, whose ads feature Law & Order star Sam Waterston, doesn't specifically advertise on Imus, she said.

``We evaluated the issue after the recent events and decided that it would be best for us to explore opportunities that would remove us from that particular rotation on MSNBC,'' Hillyer said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Crayton Harrison in Dallas at Tharrison5@bloomberg.net ; Greg Bensinger in New York at Gbensinger1@bloomberg.net .

Last Updated: April 11, 2007 16

 

[DjMorpheus]

Knew it was comin. As this shit get's more publicity, all his advertisers will follow the others that dropped his ass because they don't wanna look like they standin by him. When the team did the conference yesterday, it mad him look even MORE idiotic. He's done.

 

[Spectrum]

Knew it was comin. As this shit get's more publicity, all his advertisers will follow the others that dropped his ass because they don't wanna look like they standin by him. When the team did the conference yesterday, it mad him look even MORE idiotic. He's done.

Yep.. and when the sponsors and advertisers start walking, the real business comes into play... money talks and this cat is done now..

 

[Riggz]

The only reason he's still on the air is because he earns a lot of advertising revenue...If that shit goes, that 2 week suspension will turn into "ummm...don't bother coming back"

 

[AgentCreed]

he'll be fired now i guess.

 

[DjMorpheus]

he'll be fired now i guess.

I think after this so called "apology" meeting, the reaction or reports to the news from the girls will make or break this fool. I think he's done because the press conference put a "face" on those girls. Now everybody's lookin at it like he called each one of them a ho to their face. Senile old fuck screwed up big time on this one tryin to be funny.

 

[AgentCreed]

howd the girls look at the press conference? i read someone said they made themselves look bad? what'd they say?
i utubed and found these but i thought the press conference was an hour long?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Yd6dsrxd_Qc

http://youtube.com/watch?v=eCRtBi25Bxg

r these from the press conference?

 

[Solid Snake]

Yup, the girls will ultimately play the role of judge here. I for one actually hope that we don't come out with a cliched happy ending where they report something like "the girls and Imus have reached a good place, blah blah" and ultimately how the girls forgave him.

I don't wanna hear that.

This dude has a history of racially insensitive remarks. He's only meeting with them because he has to. What choice does he have? He's simply doing everything that his current 'role' calls for him to play (e.g., apologize profusely, properly use the right negative adjectives to describe his abhorrent behavior, offer to meet with them).

 

[Massive G]

AMERICAN EXPRESS, Ditech.com and others drop his stupid ass also. CBS and MSMBC will be forced to take action soon:

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1041502520070411

Don Imus show loses more advertisers
Wed Apr 11, 2007 5:08PM EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - General Motors and drug maker GlaxoSmithKline pulled their advertising from shows hosted by Don Imus on Wednesday, striking a blow to the shock-jock and broadcasters who carry him.

American Express and Home loans Web site Ditech.com also said they would withdraw their ads.

They joined companies including household products maker Procter & Gamble Co. and office supplies retailer Staples Inc. in pulling their support amid an outcry over an on-air racial slur by Imus about the Rutgers University women's basketball team.

The moves put pressure on CBS Radio and MSNBC, which carry his nationally syndicated show on radio and television.

Imus has apologized for referring to members of the Rutgers team as "nappy-headed hos" on his April 4 show. He has also been suspended for two weeks starting next Monday.

GM, one of the biggest U.S. advertisers, said in a statement that it welcomed the apology but would suspend its advertising while it continued to monitor the situation."

GM declined to comment on how much it spent on advertising on the show, but according to figures from TNS Media Intelligence, the automaker ran $692,OOO worth of commercial spots on MSNBC's broadcast of the Imus show last year.

Other top TV advertisers, according to TNS, included Sprint Nextel Corp., GlaxoSmithKline, American Express and TD Ameritrade.

A spokeswoman for GlaxoSmithKline said the company had pulled all of its ads from MSNBC to avoid having any appearing on the Imus show.

Sprint Nextel could not immediately be reached for comment, while TD Ameritrade said it was evaluating its sponsorship.

The comments by Imus sparked protests nationwide, with black leaders such as Rev. Al Sharpton, who had Imus as a guest on his own radio show this week, calling for his dismissal.

 

[Makkonnen]

at this shit snowballing
finally a story the media can beat to death.........when they finally get around to giving a fuck


been waiting for anyone to call nbc and cbs racists for not firing him right away and so far only Spike Lee has kept it real- he even called people who still fuck with him racists

remember that greenlee? from cbs news did that faggot's show yesterday and add him to the list

 

[DjMorpheus]

Yup, the girls will ultimately play the role of judge here. I for one actually hope that we don't come out with a cliched happy ending where they report something like "the girls and Imus have reached a good place, blah blah" and ultimately how the girls forgave him.

I don't wanna hear that.

This dude has a history of racially insensitive remarks. He's only meeting with them because he has to. What choice does he have? He's simply doing everything that his current 'role' calls for him to play (e.g., apologize profusely, properly use the right negative adjectives to describe his abhorrent behavior, offer to meet with them).

Cosign. Fuck that forgive shit. I hope they bring family to that fuckin apology and some dad's and uncles pop that old fucker upside his fuckin head.lol

 

[8/11Streetz]

That Nicca Imus Got Fired Hahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

 

[Spectrum]

That Nicca Imus Got Fired Hahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

assist...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17999196/

Imus Canned

MSNBC staff and news service reports
Updated: 5 minutes ago

NEW YORK - Talk show host Don Imus' situation worsened Wednesday, when MSNBC announced that it would no longer simulcast the "Imus in the Morning" radio program.

In a statement, NBC News announced "this decision comes as a result of an ongoing review process, which initially included the announcement of a suspension. It also takes into account many conversations with our own employees. 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. This is the only decision that makes that possible."

The network statement went on to say, "Once again, we apologize to the women of the Rutgers basketball team and to our viewers. We deeply regret the pain this incident has caused."

(MSNBC TV is wholly owned by NBC Universal. MSNBC.com is a joint venture between NBC Universal and Microsoft).

Imus’ show originates on the New York radio station WFAN, owned by CBS Corp., and is distributed nationally on radio by Westwood One. CBS owns an 18 percent stake in Westwood One and also manages the company. For its part, CBS has not announced plans to discontinue the show.

Earlier Wednesday and Tuesday, advertisers had begun pulling out of supporting the Imus show. General Motors Corp., a significant advertiser on the show, said on Wednesday that it was suspending its advertising but could resume it at a later date.

“This is a very fluid situation, and we’ll just continue to monitor it as it goes forward when he returns to the air,” GM spokeswoman Ryndee Carney said, adding that GM would continue to support Imus’ charitable efforts for children dealing with cancer and autism.

American Express said Wednesday that it had also pulled its advertising from Imus’ show as of Tuesday. “Our policy isn’t to advertise on controversial programming,” company spokeswoman Judy Tenzer said.

Procter & Gamble Co. and the office supply chain Staples Inc. have also said they would pull out, and Bigelow Tea said it was considering doing so. How many other advertisers follow suit could depend largely on how Imus handles the fallout from the controversy.

Kim Hillyer, a spokeswoman for TD Ameritrade, said the brokerage was “evaluating” its continued advertising plans in the program but did not have any further comment.

Imus’ program is worth about $15 million to CBS Corp. through advertising on WFAN and syndication fees received from MSNBC and Westwood One.

A CBS Radio spokeswoman declined to comment on the advertiser actions or to identify other advertisers that may have pulled out of Imus’ shows.

Imus caused an uproar with remarks on an April 4 broadcast when he referred to members of the mostly black Rutgers women’s basketball team as “nappy-headed hos.”

The comments have been widely denounced by civil rights and women’s groups, and Bruce Gordon, former head of the NAACP who is also a board member of CBS, has told the Associated Press that he hopes that Imus is fired.

“He’s crossed the line, he’s violated our community,” Gordon said in a telephone interview. “He needs to face the consequence of that violation.”

Gordon, a longtime telecommunications executive, stepped down in March after 19 months as head of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, one of the foremost U.S. civil rights organizations.

He said he had spoken with CBS chief executive Leslie Moonves and hoped the company, after reviewing the situation, would “make the smart decision” by firing Imus rather than letting him return to the air at the end of a two-week suspension beginning next Monday.

“We should have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to what I see as irresponsible, racist behavior,” Gordon said. “The Imus comments go beyond humor. Maybe he thought it was funny, but that’s not what occurred. There has to be a consequence for that behavior.”

Gordon said that as a matter of principle, firing Imus should be an easy decision to make, though he respects the right of CBS leadership to consider all factors, including legal and financial repercussions.

“When I look at it from my position as a director, where my responsibility is to represent the best interest of the shareholders, it’s more complex,” Gordon said. “But at the end of the day, the image of CBS is at risk. ... the ad revenue of CBS could be at risk.”


“What I expect is for management to take the next two weeks to do their homework,” he said. “I hope that the result of their due diligence is to terminate Don Imus.”

A CBS spokesman, Dana McClintock, declined comment on the remarks by Gordon, who is one of at least two minorities on the 13-member board. Linda Griego is Hispanic and is one of two female board members.

The 10 members of the Rutgers team spoke publicly for the first time Tuesday about the on-air comments, made the day after the team lost the NCAA championship game to Tennessee.

Some of them wiped away tears as their coach, C. Vivian Stringer, criticized Imus for “racist and sexist remarks that are deplorable, despicable, abominable and unconscionable.” The women, eight of whom are black, called his comments insensitive and hurtful.

The women agreed, however, to meet with Imus privately next Tuesday and hear his explanation. They held back from saying whether they’d accept Imus’ apologies or passing judgment on whether a two-week suspension imposed by CBS Radio and MSNBC was sufficient.

Several players said they wanted to ask him why he would make such thoughtless statements.

Junior forward Essence Carson said she had done some research on Imus and his past inflammatory and derogatory statements about other people.

“Just knowing that this has happened time and time before, I felt that it might be time to make a stand,” she said Wednesday on NBC’s “TODAY” show.

“He doesn’t know who we are as people,” Carson said. “That’s why we are just so appalled with his insensitive remarks, not only about African-American women, but about women as a whole.”

 

[Makkonnen]

CBS statement in 3...2...

 

[the crow]

good for that mofo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!