Imus Return Could Wipe Out Local Programming

INTO THE FOXHOLE!

Imus Comeback Likely To Throw Local Hosts Out Of Work





*** ACTION ALERT ***


Could the return of Don Imus throw a number of major local talk show hosts out of work?

If published reports and industry buzz (which we've been hearing for some time) are correct, the greatest injustice yet inflicted by the crusty talk fossil is yet to come, as his "comeback" could send a number of ABC- Citadel staffers straight to the unemployment lines.

For an industry already troubled by previous programming malpractice, this development has many diving into foxholes, waiting for the next missiles to hit.

Earlier this afternoon, WABC / New York apparently indicated that Imus's start date would be December 3 and the New York Post reports Citadel's other major talk stations are likely to carry the show as well:

While Imus will begin his return on that station alone-just six short months after being universally ostracized for calling the Rutgers University women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos"--a source involved with the deal said it is "more likely than not" that the radio raconteur will eventually be syndicated across ABC Radio's 22 stations.

This source said that Imus signed a 5-year deal with Citadel that pays him between $5 million and $8 million annually.

Plans call for Imus' first show back to be broadcast on December 3, and while there had been talks about doing the show from a special remote location, the source said that has been shelved in favor of a traditional broadcast.

Imus is also in talks on a separate television deal akin to the one he had with MSNBC though the source was unsure if those negotiations would be wrapped up in time to announce a deal simultaneous with the Citadal one.

In August, we spelled out why between his history of low ratings, newly- skittish advertisers, advancing age and incomprehensible speech, Imus is a certifiably- bad move for WABC. But we now live in an age where radio company CEOs are personally micromanaging talk programming, with disastrous results almost across the board.

If the damage could be contained merely to WABC, talk radio might yet stand a chance, but with indications Don could be spread across dozens of ABC - Citadel stations, the medium could be in for a devastating blow nationally.

For one thing, Imus has been tried before on the West Coast, with rock- bottom results. Beyond the Northeast corridor, he was previously a non- entity in radio and there's no reason to believe he could perform any better this time around. He's boring, jerky, mumbles and is hard to understand. His resulting entertainment factor is zero.


Here are the hosts at the greatest risk of being terminated as a result of the I-Man's comeback:


WABC / New York's Curtis & Kuby Show (this one is already a done deal)


KABC / Los Angeles morning host Doug McIntyre


WLS / Chicago morning team Don Wade & Roma (right)


KSFO / San Francisco's Lee Rodgers & Melanie Morgan Program


WBAP / Dallas's WBAP Morning News with Hal Jay (and possibly part of Mark Davis's program as well)


WMAL / Washington's Grandy & Andy Show (seen right)


WJR / Detroit's Paul W Smith


in addition to many, many more if Citadel decides to extend the Imus mandate to smaller stations in markets such as Providence (WPRO), Albuquerque (KOB), Reno (KOH) and others.


Not only would talk radio as a whole suffer greatly from this move, conservatives would see airtime taken away from a number of solid hosts and given to a man who supported John Kerry for president in 2004.

Considering the great work done by a number of these people, in addition to solid ratings performance, it seems almost criminal to remove successful talkers from the air for the likes of Don Imus.

Until the day Imus retires, loses his voice, overdoses, or becomes so incoherent that not even Citadel execs can stand him anymore, radio is unfortunately stuck with this human albatross. But that's no reason to believe we can't stop him from ruining a number of great talk stations across the country.


NOT HAPPY about possibly losing your favorite local hosts? Let Citadel CEO Farid Suleman know about it: farid.suleman@citcomm.com .


UPDATE: here's the AP's story, but this part doesn't make any sense:

The radio industry has eagerly awaited his return and the ratings he brought on his WFAN-AM morning show program, which had also been simulcast on the MSNBC cable channel.

Suleman's WABC-AM is already home to several syndicated hosts: Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Mark Levin.

Imus' national presence would trump the local Arbitron ratings, where his WFAN-AM show consistently drew fewer listeners than Sliwa and Kuby.

FRIDAY UPDATE: From today's New York Times:

In a telephone interview, Phil Boyce, vice president of news-talk programming for Citadel, noted Mr. Imus’s more than three decades of experience on New York City radio before adding, “The chance to get Don is something we couldn’t pass up.” Mr. Boyce said he expected other Citadel radio affiliates to carry Mr. Imus’s show, but he was not ready to say which ones. The Imus show will replace that of Curtis Sliwa and Ron Kuby.

Mr. Boyce said he hoped to find another place on the WABC schedule for Mr. Sliwa but did not expect to keep Mr. Kuby, a civil rights lawyer. Asked why, he said he had no further comment.

We're hearing Sliwa may slide into the mid-morning slot at WABC.


FOR Boston- area talk radio updates, see our other site.

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