The Consequences of Attacking Don Imus

This week the media found a new whipping boy, Don Imus, to distract the general public from real issues that do not make news programs any money.

In a firestorm of racial hysteria Al Sharpton, and Jesse Jackson have been relentless in the call for firing the "shock jock" Don Imus. CBS announced they will suspend the radio host for two weeks beginning next Monday. MSNBC responded immediately by pulling the television simulcast of "Imus in the Morning."

The question that many have asked is, "Why is CBS waiting until next week to do this?"

The simple matter is that, Thursday, April 12, and Friday, April 13, Don Imus is doing his best to help kids with cancer.

For the last eighteen years Don Imus hosted a yearly Radiothon to raise money for children living with cancer. The Radiothon proceeds are split evenly between three charities, Tomorrows Children's Fund, CJ Foundation for SIDS and the Imus Ranch. While I do understand the potential fraud of the Imus Ranch and do applaud the investigation into it however, the other charities do not need to suffer.

The good news is that despite having lost the TV audience that would typically watch the show and donate many people still are contributing.

As of 9 a.m. $450,000 had been pledged, and within the first five hours the amount of money raised was around 1 million dollars. These figures were reported by the New York Mercantile Exchange who also reported that volunteers were receiving 200 more pledges than the previous year.

This is a very good thing, that is why CBS held off on his suspension, why would they want to let children suffer by handicapping a fundraiser?

Apparently, NBC figured they had a reason. Hours before the show started on Thursday MSNBC announced they would not simulcast the "Imus in the Monring" show. This seriously handicapped the power of the show to draw in money.

Only a few saw this as a bad thing, and took up the call. "The Opie and Anthony Show" has been the loudest with Opie and Anthony in their support.

The contingent of fans, known as "The Pests," took up the call and donated what they could. Many callers reported that the volunteers, when told that they were calling because of Opie and Anthony, said "Oh, we have another one."

Opie and Anthony and CBS have integrity because they saw the issue of helping children as something greater than a comment that flared the hackles of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

NBC saw the helping of children as a non-issue. They went in line with the media storm of labeling Don Imus a racist and broke the simulcast.

Now, one would reasonably expect that having cut all times with Don Imus NBC would have seriously cut all ties with Don Imus. They did not. What they did was instead of playing Don Imus with the Radiothon they instead decided to play a show about why the "Imus in the Morning" show was not on the air.

So, when it is stated that NBC has no integrity it is because they did not help a radio show raise money for sick children and exploited the name and likeness of a personality they dropped from their station.

Now, as of this posting Don Imus has been fired, most likely because another advertiser dropped from the Imus show. In his place is his wife, who was allowed to take his place to continue the Radiothon.

In the future remember these charities and support them, if not for the sheer fact that they need money but for a company, that yes did cave to media pressure, but did the right thing and let sickness take precedence over how they would look to the public.