Imus Fired by CBS

CBS has fired Don Imus one day after MSNBC decided to drop his show:

CBS fired Don Imus from his radio show Thursday, the finale to a stunning fall for one of the nations most prominent broadcasters.

Imus initially was given a two-week suspension, to start Monday, for calling the Rutgers womens basketball team "nappy-headed hos" on the air last week, but outrage continued to grow and advertisers bolted from his programs.

"There has been much discussion of the effect language like this has on our young people, particularly young women of color trying to make their way in this society," CBS President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves said in announcing the decision. "That consideration has weighed most heavily on our minds as we made our decision.

"From the outset, I believe all of us have been deeply upset and revulsed by the statements that were made on our air about the young women who represented Rutgers University "¦ with such class, energy and talent."

Rutgers womens basketball team spokeswoman Stacey Brann said the team did not have an immediate comment on Imus firing but would be issuing a statement later Thursday evening.

Time Magazine once named the cantankerous broadcaster as one of the 25 Most Influential People in America, and he was a member of the National Broadcaster Hall of Fame.

That might be the most surprising part of the whole story-that he was once considered one of the 25 Most Influential People in America. I never really followed his show so I might be missing something by only having seen an occassional interview by him and rare visits on other shows, but I was never impressed with him as a broadcaster even if you ignore his off the wall statements.