A costly attempt to get laughs...
I felt I had to comment on the Imus racial comment since I was his program director for a year at WNBC. Don Imus came to New York in 1971 and was labeled as a "shock jock" as soon as he opened his mouth. He had a black board 'op' whose nickname was "Flash" and he would use a lot of racial comedy at the expense and I might add, approval of Flash who would laugh along with the joke. As far as I know, Don Imus is not a bigot. He never showed he was one in that year that he was my morning man. He is, an equal opportunity offender for one reason and one reason alone - laughs. I am in no way condoning his offensive racial comments. He called the Rutgers women basketball players, "nappy-headed ho's" and he should be punished for it...
I won't even get into what's acceptable and what's not for those that have the privilege of having an open mike, that's not for me to say. It is however the responsibility of the employer of that person to fully accept that responsibility. CBS Radio will have a tough time in disciplining and/or punishing Imus but they must. There's too much at stake this time. Not only does Imus have the Reverends Sharpton and Jesse Jackson on his case, he also has the sports world and those that found his racial comments highly offensive and that's pretty much everyone...
When I was program director at WNBC, the first thing Perry Bascom, my general manager and I would discuss every morning was Imuses latest listener complaint and more times than not, there were many of them. It was our job to make an apology to those offended and if necessary take action against Imus. It was an impossible job but we had to take that responsibility seriously...
This whole thing reminds me of a seminar that I attended a couple of years ago at the New York Television & Radio Broadcasting Museum. The topic was talk radio. It was hosted by Mike Harrison, the talk radio maven. One of the panelists was Al Franken who was asked the best question of all from the audience, "what are you? By that I mean you're very heavy into politics but you're also a comedian. What do you consider yourself?" Franken thought for a few seconds and then told the audience that he had a real interest in the political arena (he's now running for the Senate in his home state of Minnesota) but first and foremost he considered himself a comedian. With that statement I totally dismissed his political views. I wondered how many other people did...
Al Franken, Don Imus, Howard Stern, Michael Richards, etc. etc. It's all about one thing - getting laughs at any cost and at anyone's expense...
There are 2 video links to be found in the "Released on this date" and "Free Chicken" timelines...
Timeline Memories...
Surrender or else: 1865] At Appomattox Court House in Virginia, Gen. Robert E. Lee surrenders his Confederate Army to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. Although the Civil War had ended, there were still Confederate troops in the field. The 4-year war took 360,000 Union and 260,000 Confederate lives...
The Red Sox school The Crimson: 1912] The 1st exhibition game is played at Fenway Park with the Sox beating Harvard 2-0 in a game played in the snow...
Bums already: 1913] The Dodgers play their 1st regular season game at Ebbets Field as nearly 12,000 fans watch Brooklyn lose a 1-0 game to the Phillies. This would be a rough year for the hometeam as the Bums finish 34 1/2 games out of 1st place...
In orbit: 1965] Mickey Mantle hits the 1st Astrodome home run in an exhibition game between Houston and the Yankees. It is the 1st indoor baseball game...
Free Chicken: 1974] College student Ted Giannoulas answers a radio station ad for a mascot in San Diego and becomes the 'San Diego Chicken'. Here's the chicken in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IML4CM5-rsM&mode=related&search= ...
Rock & Roll tragedies: 1976] Songwriter and performer Phil Ochs who suffers from manic-depression, takes his own life at 35...1988] Dave Prater of Sam & Dave dies in a car accident at 50...
Mae day: 1928] Mae West makes her Broadway debut in "Diamond Lil"...
Thanks for the memory: 1950] Bob Hope makes his 1st TV appearance on "Star-Spangled Review" on NBC-TV...
Oscar time: 1962] "West Side Story" wins 10 Academy Awards...1972] Jane Fonda wins an Oscar for "Klute"...
Original 7: 1959] NASA announces the selection of America's 1st seven astronauts...
Bruce is a boy: 1965] Bruce Johnston officially joins the Beach Boys...
Posing for Peanuts: 1965] TIME magazine runs a picture of the entire "Peanuts" gang on its cover...
Released on this date: 1966] "When A Man Loves A Woman" - Percy Sledge. Mercy, it's Percy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cK42IByqnE ...1973] "My Love" - Paul McCartney...
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do: 1970] Paul quits the Beatles...
Guilty as charged: 1992] Former Panamanian ruler Manuel Noriega is convicted in Miami of 8 drug and racketeering charges and is sentenced to 30 years in prison. His attorney recently said that Noriega is due to be released this September. That's 30 years? You do the math...1996] Former Rep (D-IL) Dan Rostenkowski, the once powerful House Ways and Means chairman pleads guilty to 2 mail fraud charges and serves 15 months. He's now a political commentator...2002] Former Arthur Andersen auditor David B. Duncan pleads guilty to ordering the shredding of Enron documents and agrees to cooperate with prosecutors. He is never sentenced to prison...
Wedding Bells: 2001] American Airlines' parent company acquires TWA and becomes America's #1 carrier...
Partay: 2003] Today was the day that that Saddam Hussein statue came down in downtown Baghdad as Iraqis celebrated the collapse of his regime...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...
"Happy Trails":
There were 2 sports deaths last week to acknowledge. First, former New England Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley passed away on April 5th at 55. Death was attributed to heart disease and pneumonia complicated by quadriplegia. Darryl was a victim of a hit by the Raiders' defensive back Jack Tatum during a pre-season game on August 12, 1978. Darryl would spend the rest of his life as a quadriplegic. Darryl was a fine receiver and true hero to many...Eddie Robinson, the legendary Grambling State coach passed away at 88 on April 3. The winningest coach in college football history at the time of his retirement, he finished with a record of 408-165-15. He not only was a great coach but a role model for Grambling students playing the role of father, teacher and disciplinarian. Robinson lived with Alzheimer's disease since retirement in 1997...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
"The Cosby Show"'s Keshia Knight Pulliam (28), Cynthia Nixon (41), recent "Dancing With The Stars" contestant Paulina Porizkova (42), Dennis Quaid (53), "The Waltons" Michael Learned (68) and Playboy publisher and founder Hugh Hefner (81)...
Timeline Countdown: Today is Opening Day at Shea Stadium and there are 49 days remaining until Memorial Day...
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