Fueled by internal pressures from its employees, NBC News President Steve Capus Wednesday cancelled its live simulcast of the radio show "Imus in the Morning," whose host, Don Imus, ignited a national firestorm of debate when he referred to members of the Rutgers University women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos." "I received hundreds, if not thousands, of internal and external messages with strong views about what happens next," Capus said Wednesday on MSNBC's "Hardball." "Many of these people have worked years at NBC.
They put their lives on the lines covering wars. When you listen to the passion of the people, you come to the conclusion that there should not be room for conversation like this on our airways." Al Roker, one of NBC's most visible black on-air personalities, went public on Wednesday with his views on the Imus comments.
"As a student of broadcasting, I know Don Imus was one of the original 'shock jocks.' I listened to him growing up in New York City in the late '60s and early '70s," Roker said on the "Today" show blog, Allday. "He is a radio icon.
That said, it is time for him to go."
"I, for one, am really tired of the diatribes, the 'humor' at others' expense, the cruelty that passes for 'funny.' Don Imus isn't the only one doing this, but today, he's the one in the hot seat.
" Capus said he has listened in conversations over recent days with Imus.
"He has said he is sorry for his comments. I take him at his word that he is not a racist.
But I also believe those were racist comments, and there should not be a place for that on MSNBC," Capus said. "I take no joy in this. It is not a particularly happy moment.
But it needed to happen," he said.
The decision does not affect Imus' nationally syndicated radio show, and the ultimate decision on the fate of that program will rest with executives at CBS Corp. In a statement, CBS reiterated that Imus will be suspended without pay for two weeks beginning on Monday, and that CBS Radio "will continue to speak with all concerned parties and monitor the situation closely.
"
MSNBC's action came after a growing list of sponsors -- including American Express Co., Sprint Nextel Corp., Staples Inc.
, Procter Gamble Co., and General Motors Corp. -- said they were pulling ads from Imus' show for the indefinite future.
Capus said he made the decision after reading thousands of e-mails and having countless discussions with NBC workers and the public, but he denied the potential loss of advertising dollars had anything to do with it. The Rev. Jesse Jackson of Rainbow/Push applauded the cancellation of the Imus simulcast on MSNBC.
"It is a victory for public decency," Jackson told BlackAmericaWeb.com. "The network should not be the conduit for racial bigotry and gender bashing, and advertisers should not sponsor it.
" NBC's decision came at a time when Imus' program on MSNBC was doing better competitively than it ever has been. For the first three months of the year, its audience was nearly identical to CNN's, leading CNN to replace its morning news team last week. "We can not stop at Imus," Jackson said.
"We have to deal with others in television and music and this message of degradation. Everytime a Michael Richards or Don Imus gets caught, they immediately use as their justification that they got it from black artists." "It's a completely different scenario," Snoop told VH-1.
" "[Rappers] are not talking about no collegiate basketball girls who have made it to the next level in education and sports. We're talking about hos that's in the 'hood that ain't doing sh--, that's trying to get a n---a for his money. These are two separate things.
First of all, we ain't no old-ass white men that sit up on MSNBC going hard on black girls. We are rappers that have these songs coming from our minds and our souls that are relevant to what we feel." Media critic Eric Deggans of the St.
Petersburg Times, said the pressure is now on for CBS, the company which owns the radio network broadcasting "Imus in the Morning." Networks have to consider the damage that can be done to their brand "if they are seen as a haven for racist jokes," Deggans told BlackAmericaWeb.com.
"It is not just whether they condone Imus, but what he will do to their future. Is it worth having that billion dollar brand associated with a guy who makes a few million?"
Bruce Gordon, former head of the NAACP and a director of CBS Corp.
, said before MSNBC's decision Wednesday he hoped the broadcasting company would "make the smart decision" by firing Imus.
"He's crossed the line, he's violated our community," Gordon said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press. "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 NAACP, 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 fire Imus rather than let him return to the air at the end of his suspension.
"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."
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. Jackson said he plans to meet with CBS Thursday.
He also will meet soon with NBC officials. "Now the issue is we must fight for our shares of these posts," Jackson said. "We need more hosts, writers and producers.
We need to desegregate the airways, bringing an end to segregation of the airways. From three to 11, all day, all night, they are white."
Associated Press contributed to this story.
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