Just eight months after being fired from both his national television and radio programs, controversial morning radio host Don Imus is now returning to the airwaves. The New York Daily News is reporting that Imus has just signed a multi-year contract to return to morning radio on WABC. Imus’s new morning show will officially begin on December the third, and both his critics and fans are making their opinions known about the new deal.
The Reverend Al Sharpton, a staunch Imus critic, has warned that the broadcaster will have to change the tone of his on-air persona to avoid a new round of protests. Reverend Sharpton was instrumental in organizing the protests that got Imus fired this April from his WFAN morning show. So far, Imus has been silent about Sharpton’s threats, and has refused to comment on the format of his new morning radio show.
However, ABC radio program director Phil Boyce has said, “it should make for very interesting radio… I think his intent is to let it all out during that first show.”
Don Imus is certainly no stranger to controversy. As a morning “shock jock,” Imus has insulted nearly every one, including personally insulting former President Bill Clinton on stage at a Washington press dinner. If the “I man” survived that faux pas, it is likely he will also overcome this latest controversy.
Media analysts are already predicting that Imus will be “bigger than he’s ever been.” This would certainly seem to prove the old show business proverb: “all publicity is good publicity.” It appears that being at the center of a national scandal this April has raised Imus is profile and name recognition significantly.
The only real wild card among media watchers is whether Imus cannot entice A-list celebrities to come on his new show at WABC. After the race-related comments Imus made on air this past April concerning the Rutgers women’s basketball team, many celebrities have sought to distance themselves from the broadcaster.
But in show business, time usually heals all wounds, and I suspect we’ll be seeing in a variety of big-name celebrities on the new Imus morning show before long.
So far both Imus and WABC have declined to comment on how much the broadcaster will be earning from the new morning show. Industry insiders say that Imus’s previous show at WFAN earned up to 20 million a year. Whether the controversial broadcaster can continue to command high ratings and attract A-list celebrity guests remains to be seen. However, it is unlikely Imus will change his controversial style much. He may tone down the race-related remarks, but in the end, you can always count on Imus to just be Imus.
