Walking on Green Egg Shells

Walking on Green Egg Shells

Update: Don Imus was fired from his CBS radio job at WFAN. He did meet with the Rutgers Women’s basketball team as promised.

The unfortunate comments by radio’s Don Imus eight days ago is still on the front page. Today’s edition of the “Los Angeles Times” covers the story citing one thing. Advertisers are pulling from the show, and the financial impact was enough for General Electric’s MSNBC to drop the I-man.

The simulcast of the radio show was the most watched program on the third-place “news” channel. The show frequently tied CNN’s morning program. How ironic is that: a radio show was the most watched program …..

With outcries of “Fire him!” to CBS, the noose gets tighter around the neck of a man who has spent the last forty years behind the microphone. If CBS drops him, this won’t be the first time he’s been fired, and most likely, it won’t be the last. Don Imus helped shape shock-talk and morning drive radio in Southern California before landing in the Big Apple. His mark will be felt for years.

Now CBS has to wonder if continued walking on Green Egg Shells is worth it. No one outside of the company can call for his dismissal, however when CBS board members start saying that in public to be fired, it’s time to look where to hang your hat, pardoner.

Imus on the radio may be coming to an end on the national run; and that’s unfortunate. But that doesn’t’ excuse the silly-bit (and the worse retort) heard on his show. Politics aside, if the I-man said it about an elected official, “Hey, that’s funny!” To make the comments directed at a very successful Rutgers women’s basketball team, a disaster.

From the corporate level, they’ll treat this with the respect it is due and make amends to those involved. Imus plans to meet with the women’s basketball team to apologize in person. CBS will look at it from another angle. Can they take another financial strike against their radio division? The I-man brought in $50 million to WFAN and to the company through syndication to 70-stations. Here’s where walking on “Green Egg Shells” comes into play. Drop him, and take a hit on the financial line short term. Keep him, and advertisers will return, albeit slowly. In due time, those ad dollars would flow return to the radio show. Imus’ book of guests would come back too. (Carl Ripken Jr. dropped his appearance this week.)

CBS has to wonder if dropping the Don Imus show makes sense in the short term or long term. Stock price, profit margin, and ad revenue make the Walking On Green Egg Shells very critical for the media company that has several missteps lately. That’s where the company will make the decision, not on the unfortunate quip from last week. It’s their decision, and one they have about a week to make. Imus said on air that he may be at the end of his radio run, as he hosts a radio-thon to raise money for a charity. His scheduled departure from the syndicated radio show is effective on Monday, for two weeks.

Crossing the financial line may cost CBS more in the long run, they’ll walk carefully on the green egg shells

Stay digitally tuned.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 12, 2007 at 6:28 am and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

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