CBS fires broadcaster over racial comments

NEW YORK – CBS fired Don Imus from his radio programme, the finale to a stunning fall for one of the most prominent US broadcasters.

Imus initially was given a two-week suspension for calling a college women’s basketball team ‘nappy-headed hos’ on the air last week, but outrage continued to grow and advertisers bolted from his CBS radio show and its MSNBC television simulcast. Nappy is a derogatory reference to the hair of some black people, and ‘ho’, is slang for ‘whore’.”There has been much discussion of the effect language like this has on our young people, particularly young women of colour trying to make their way in this society,” CBS President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves said in announcing the decision on Thursday.”That consideration has weighed most heavily on our minds as we made our decision.”CBS announced that Imus’ wife, Deirdre, and his longtime newsman, Charles McCord, will host Friday’s show.A Rutgers University team spokeswoman said it did not have an immediate comment on Imus’ firing.The team met with Imus for about three hours at the governor’s mansion in Princeton, New Jersey, on Thursday night.Imus left without commenting to reporters, and the team did not immediately issue a statement.Time Magazine once named the cantankerous broadcaster one of the 25 Most Influential People in America, and he was a member of the National Broadcaster Hall of Fame.Nampa-APNappy is a derogatory reference to the hair of some black people, and ‘ho’, is slang for ‘whore’.”There has been much discussion of the effect language like this has on our young people, particularly young women of colour trying to make their way in this society,” CBS President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves said in announcing the decision on Thursday.”That consideration has weighed most heavily on our minds as we made our decision.”CBS announced that Imus’ wife, Deirdre, and his longtime newsman, Charles McCord, will host Friday’s show.A Rutgers University team spokeswoman said it did not have an immediate comment on Imus’ firing.The team met with Imus for about three hours at the governor’s mansion in Princeton, New Jersey, on Thursday night.Imus left without commenting to reporters, and the team did not immediately issue a statement.Time Magazine once named the cantankerous broadcaster one of the 25 Most Influential People in America, and he was a member of the National Broadcaster Hall of Fame.Nampa-AP