Obama, Hillary, Billary, Republicans, Imus, Bloomberg, and Clemens January 7, 2008

What’s Going On in da ‘Hood?

Barack Obama: Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama continues to build on the momentum of his victory in the Iowa caucus with a substantial lead over Hillary Clinton in the polls leading up to the New Hampshire primary. Polls over the weekend show that Obama has built as much as a ten point lead over Clinton while John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich continue to trail the two front runners.

Obama apparently captured the hearts and imagination of the voters with his message about the need for a change. It’s still very early in the primary season but the real news is that the Democrats now have a genuine race for the nomination. Polls prior to the Iowa caucus indicated that Clinton’s campaign might have been an unstoppable juggernaut to the White House. Registered Democrats now have a reason to tune in, get involved and get to the polls.

Hillaryland in Flames: The last week has not been kind to the Clinton presidential bid and, despite the calm spin being pitched by Bill and Hillary, there is a new sense of urgency from campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle and her staff. Urgent emails seeking more donations for the massive Clinton war chest, and another desperate email sought volunteers to participate in a phone blitz of New Hampshire voters. The smug attitude previously presented by Clinton’s campaign, much like the guerilla marketing tactics of an industry leader, has now made a dramatic shift to the “We Try Harder” image of a “Number Two” company like Avis Car Rental.

Clinton is now focusing on Obama’s weak points, including his record and lack of experience. It is foolhardy to think that the Clinton campaign is circling the bowl at this early stage of the game. Obama has momentum and the Oprah Winfrey factor working in his favor, but the Clinton campaign is backed by big money from shadowy figures like George Soros. The unseen forces that profited from Bill’s presidency have much to gain by another Clinton in the oval office. The battle for the nomination is far from over.

Imus Debuts on WABC-AM December 3, 2007

Listeners Assured Nothing Has Changed

With his usually tongue-in-cheek and angry edge, Don Imus assured listeners that nothing about his new show on WABC-AM in New York City will be different. He added that “Dick Cheney is still a war criminal, Hillary Clinton is still Satan and I am back on the radio!” to the cheers and applause of a sold-out audience who paid $100 each to attend the maiden broadcast live at NYC’s Town Hall.

Imus also quipped that he signed a five-year contract with Citadel Broadcasting because “it is going to take me five years alone to get even with everybody.”

The Imus program was syndicated to a number of other stations around the country and more, including other Citadel stations, are likely to sign up. The program was also simulcast on cable by RFD-TV, owned by Rural Media Group, Inc, that reaches almost 30 million homes. RFD-TV hopes Imus will get their subscriber base up to 50 million homes in the next two years.

Imus seemed genuinely contrite about the events that led to his termination. He recounted his meeting with the Rutgers’ team for the first time and made his first public comments about his removal from the airwaves on April 12 by CBS Radio. While his comments are unlikely to appease his critics, Imus seemed far more concerned with offering another apology and making his case to his loyal fans. He also added that the whole mess was his own fault. When talking about his anger and frustration over the last eight months, he said, “I would remind myself that if I hadn’t said what I said, then we wouldn’t be having this discussion.”

Imus Return Scheduled for December 1 October 7, 2007

Imus Reportedly Ready to Sign with Citadel Broadcasting

According to the Washington Post, radio is about to get better again with the return of Don Imus to the airwaves. In a somewhat surprising move that was the subject of speculation in August, Citadel Broadcasting is close to a deal that will put Imus on WAB-AM radio in New York City. This will be a ratings coup for Citadel nationally and in the New York market.

The Washington Post article cites someone close to the negotiations in reporting that Imus will land the coveted morning spot currently held by the award-winning team of Curtis Sliwa, founder and leader of the Guardian Angels, and Ron Kuby, a high-powered attorney. The Imus show will reportedly be avilable for syndication and a TV outlet is also being sought.

The move comes less than six months following Imus’ termination by CBS Radio and MSNBC for the incident with the Rutgers women’s basketball team. Imus reached a settlement on his contract with CBS Radio in August. Kia Vaughn of the Rutgers team filed a lawsuit against Imus following the CBS settlement but withdrew it in September.

The Real Truth About Imus August 27, 2007

Imus needs to Swallow His Pride


A kind reader named Charles wrote a great response to my last Imus article. As I started to write a reply, I decided that his thoughts deserved much more than a snappy paragraph.

Until now, I have simply been reporting the news as it is reported on the A.P. wire, various news reports, my email and discussion boards. Where Imus will land is anybody’s guess at this point. Buckley Radio, like WABC-AM and Citadel, is just another educated guess. Conventional wisdom tells us that many radio operations executive are sitting and dreaming of a way to get Imus on board.

The reality of the situation is that Imus, all sides considered, is a ticking time bomb for many reasons. That is why Imus needs to swallow his pride and do whatever it takes to get back on the air.

Imus’ Return Continues to Unfold August 26, 2007

Where Will Imus Land?

According to several sources, radio industry analyst Brian Maloney says that embattled radio personality Don Imus may likely land on WOR-AM in New York City as a replacement for Donna Hanover, the ex-wife of presidential hopeful Rudy Guiliani. From there, he could be syndicated nationally once again.

Hanover is co-host on a morning drive show that currently ranks a distant third in the New York market that Imus dominated for years. Frequent rumors had Imus joining WABC-AM, but those rumors have been denied by WABC management. Maloney believes that WABC and Citadel Radio will not dump its successful team of Curtis and Kuby who own the current #1 morning slot in New York.

Any return to radio is unlikely to include Imus’ former sidekick Bernard McGuirk, the one who started the questionable exchange that led to Imus’ termination by CBS Radio.