The Imus Fallout: Who Can Say What?
Thursday, Apr. 12, 2007 By JAMES PONIEWOZIK can Don turn this into a real First Amendment issue?
I don't see where this can become much of a 1st Amndt issue. First, freedom of the press belongs to he who owns the press. Imus is entitled to say whatever he wants, but MSNBC, WFAN, and Westwood One are certainly under no obligation to pay for him to say it. It's a little like when the Dixie Chicks tried to take the 1st Amndt route, and found out that while Natalie can certainly say whatever she wants, folks are under no obligation to buy their records and radio stations don't have to program their music. If you want to stand in the middle of Boston Common and comment on the Rutgers basketball team, or wear a sandwich board in front of the state house hammering pols or judges, knock yourself out, but don't think the local newspaper is obligated to carry your op-ed piece expounding your views.
The FCC is a different story, since the allocated airways are 'owned' by the public (MSNBC, as a cable operation, is another matter.) Although Carlin's words you can't say have been reduced in number, there are still a couple which will get you fined, the same ones which, if said to a umpire, will get you tossed from a ballgame.
Nothing showed the commercial and audience-generating power of Howard Stern more than that his employer and affiliates ate multi-million dollar fines, and kept his unchanged act on the air. That, my friends, is raw commercial media power.
But it gets nebulous when you come around to 'community standards.' For 40 years, Imus has been routinely saying things which, if said by a host on Radio Disney, would have said host being escorted to the door by the security guard with the contents of his desk in a cardboard box. But, Imus is Imus, just as Stern is Stern, and Savage is Savage. Once you know where these guys are coming from, you forfeit your sense of outrage if you keep listening. Their acts never change, so spare us the umbrage. Every day, 300 million people have no problem not listening to Imus, just as 280 million aren't interested in what Limbaugh has to say. But, I would guess that his remark didn't raise an eyebrow of, or shock, any regular Imus listener. As did I during the 90s, Imus listeners find it worthwhile to slog through purile sludge in order to get the occasional laugh or interesting interview.
I quit listening to Imus back when I finally reached my tipping point on overpriced salsa and New Mexican little-dude ranches. But, people calling for Imus' head should be careful of what they wish for. If Imus gets canned over this, it is not a good thing for radio programmers or listeners. If programmers and air talent go to school on this, and wonder what is now 'safe' to say, they'll certainly err on the side of caution, and programming may well get de-balled and radio will be a lot less interesting for everyone. When does it stop? If some race-baiting thug like Sharpton and extortion meister like Jackson can get someone fired, why not every other group which exists solely in order to be outraged? I'm not sure I want to have to pay for sat radio just to get edgy, interesting, irreverent programming.
Curiously, American Express, SKG, and all those other 'sensitive' advertisers who've killed their spots never seemed to have had any qualms about shoveling cash toward him during 20 years of Imus slamming and mocking Catholics, born agains, blacks, Italians, Poles, Asians, Jews, women, the handicapped, etc etc. In fact, they couldn't wait to be associated with, and to finance, any endeavor with Imus' name attached. And now they issue press releases expressing 'serious concern.' What a load of hypocritical bullsh*t. Think they've spent the last decade confusing Imus with Saint Paul?
Same goes to those in the media and politics who, at one time, were falling over themselves to get on his show, either to hype their networks, candidacies, or sell their books. Now, they are either hammering him or denying that they ever heard of him.
Personally, I hope his radio program survives, in fact, I might even listen. I'd like to hear what he has to say about all his liberal 'buds' who tossed him under the bus when the going got rough. So far, the only major political or industry players who have come to his defense are John McCain and Joel Hollander. Imus' ranch may be, to put it mildly, problematic, but his other charitable endeavors have been pretty admirable (I think one of them is named after Hollander's late infant son.) That his former pals have been so cowed as to be competing with one another to see who can bash him the hardest, is just despicable. If he survives, and that looks more and more iffy since Hollander, his protector, is cleaning out his office tomorrow, his bitterness should be something to behold.
Whatever happens, the radio landscape will be forever changed, and I don't think it will be for the better.
Regards,
TSB
