[BC] Re: Imus Firing

[Robert Meuser]

The women's basketball championship belongs to ESPN.  CBS airs about 1 
weekend of women's basketball

R

Alan Kline wrote:

> One thing that hasn't been discussed, at least publicly, is how much 
> pressure might have been brought to bear on CBS by the NCAA. Remember 
> that Imus made his comments about a team which played in the NCAA 
> womens' basketball championship, and remember that the NCAA is one of 
> CBS' most cherished business partners. CBS paid something like $6 
> billion for the rights to the Final Four for the next umpteen years. 
> Do you think they're going to do *anything* to alienate the NCAA?
>
> For all of Les Moonves' posturing about doing the right thing for 
> their other employees, it all comes down to caving in when the right 
> people push.
>
> It's a sad day when the network which once defied Congress to protect 
> journalistic freedoms collapses so easily.  And all the more ironic 
> when one considers that CBS is still fighting the FCC over the Janet 
> Jackson and "Without a Trace" incidents. They might as well give up on 
> those...
>
> I guess this truly was a "Bad Day at Black Rock"...
>
> ak
>
> Xmitters at aol.com wrote:
>
>> Hello:
>>
>> I am rather confused about something and maybe you can help me sort 
>> this out:
>>
>> Imus was suspended for two weeks and _then_ his advertisers pulled 
>> their commercials. HELLO! I'm sure those advertisers were paying a 
>> premium price to advertise in the Imus show. If Imus is suspended, 
>> you would have to be one stup
>> id advertiser to continue paying those prices when the main draw for 
>> the demographic that you're paying for, is not on the air. The news 
>> coverage is mak
>> ing this removal of sponsors sound as it those sponsors are 
>> protesting to what was said.
>>
>> Then MSNBC decides not to carry the Imus show. Same reasoning! Imus 
>> is suspended, why carry his show!!
>>
>> Today, CBS fires Imus because of the sponsor reaction supposedly to 
>> his comments. Does CBS have memory failure?? They are the ones that 
>> gave Imus a suspension. What did they expect the advertisers to do? 
>> Continue to pay top dol
>> lar for an Imus fill-in? Who would be dumb enough to do that?
>>
>> I just do not understand this part of the Imus ordeal. I have  my own 
>> opinions about what he actually said and respect those who object to 
>> the commen
>> ts and those who don't. I am not confused about the offensiveness of 
>> what he said.
>> I AM confused about how CBS handled the suspension/firing; that's the 
>> part that makes no sense.
>>
>> Help me unravel this.
>
>
>
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