Don Imus

John Donald Imus, Jr. (born July 23, 1940)

1988: A big change, news and talk

After a highly self-publicized battle with cocaine and alcohol, in 1988 Imus reshaped his show into a forum for political issues, charitable causes, and news-based parodies; the Billy Sol Hargus routines were phased out. The radio show became nationally syndicated in 1993, and began simulcasting on MSNBC in 1996.

Related Topics:
Cocaine - Alcohol - Parodies

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In the 1990s Imus and his wife Deirdre founded the Imus Ranch, a charitable organization which operates a working cattle ranch in New Mexico for children with cancer and the siblings of SIDS victims.

Related Topics:
1990s - Imus Ranch - New Mexico - Cancer - SIDS

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Imus has four daughters from a previous marriage and a son (Frederick Wyatt) from his current marriage. As a result of his wife Deirdre being a vegetarian, both Imus and his son have become vegetarians. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day each year, the Imus family goes to the New Mexico ranch, during which Imus broadcasts from a studio on the ranch, while the rest of his cast broadcasts from New York and New Jersey. In 2000 Imus suffered serious injuries after a fall from a horse at his ranch, and broadcast several shows from a hospital.

Related Topics:
Vegetarian - Memorial Day - Labor Day - 2000 - Horse - Hospital

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Imus does not hesitate to broadcast parody songs and voices which comment on national and local New York events.

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During the 1990s Imus in the Morning gained a reputation as a useful, non-traditional platform for politicians to express their views and gain exposure. When Imus has a guest of some fame, Imus usually asks obvious questions, which forces the guest to impart fundamental information. Imus was featured as one of Time magazine's "25 most influential people in America" and was on the cover of Newsweek.

Related Topics:
1990s - Time - Newsweek

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Former U.S. Sen. Al D'Amato (R-N.Y.) was one of the first officeholders to ingratiate himself with "The I-man".

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Imus was a Bill Clinton supporter, but managed to offend the White House with off-color remarks in front of the Clintons during a 1996 Radio and Television Correspondents Association dinner speech.

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In 2000, Imus was a George W. Bush supporter; however, after the Iraq War, Imus became more critical of Bush and supported John Kerry in 2004.

Related Topics:
2000 - George W. Bush - Iraq War - John Kerry - 2004

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As of 2005, Imus in the Morning is carried by about 90 radio stations across the US. http://wfan.com/imusinstantreplay/

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Arbitron analysis puts the program in a tie for the eleventh most listened to radio talk show in the United States http://www.talkers.com/talkaud.html, and it has about 3.5 million combined radio and television listeners a week. Because Imus' listeners tend to be more affluent and less politically partisan than those of other radio talk shows, Imus in the Morning can command high advertising rates. http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/brandnewday/archives/2005/04/imus_audience_s.html By comparison, the daily Howard Stern broadcast attracts more than 8.25 million listeners on half as many stations, and yet the two shows' ad rates are comparable. Imus has been able to maintain this demographic cachet despite substandard rating numbers; the Winter 2005 Arbitron book had Imus in a three-way tie for 17th place in New York City's competitive morning drive. http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ent_radio/story/303434p-259729c.html

Related Topics:
Arbitron - Advertising - Howard Stern - 2005 - New York City

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Imus generally selects country and western songs as bumper music, often playing them at substantial length, and has heavily promoted artists he likes such as Delbert McClinton, The Dixie Chicks, and The Flatlanders. Sometimes when sound bites are played as part of the news, a "SHUT UP!" sound effect will be played, effectively cutting of the speaker. He wears a signature cowboy hat during his broadcasts; during his interview on Larry King Live, Imus and Deirdre both wore Western clothing and cowboy hats.

Related Topics:
Country and western - Bumper music - Delbert McClinton - The Dixie Chicks - The Flatlanders - Sound bites - Cowboy hat - Larry King Live

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Still keeping to his "shock jock" roots, Imus is a huge friend and supporter of Opie and Anthony. He has even wore a Opie and Anthony XM radio T-shirt during a MSNBC broadcast.

Related Topics:
Shock jock - Opie and Anthony - XM

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Don Imus? behavior has increasingly drawn the attention of the press. He famously called Rush Limbaugh "a fat, pill-popping loser," and Leslie Stahl a "gutless, lying weasel." More recently, his targets have not been so prominent, and his attacks have displayed a more vindictive quality. For example, he threatened Wall Street Journal reporter Robert Frank with unending harassment for his reporting on the Imus Ranch in New Mexico. The Journal's editor and publisher have editorialized on what has been called Imus? "intimidation game" against Frank. His exchange of insults ("fat pig") regarding his show?s former news reader, Contessa Brewer, recently made news, as did Brewer's response ("cantankerous old fool"). Imus also attracted public attention due to two recent lawsuits, one filed by a former nanny, Nichole Mallette, 24, who was thrown out of his New Mexico home at 4 a.m., and the other filed by Dr. Howard Allen Pearson, a pediatric cancer and blood specialist at Yale University, who has initiated a defamation suit based on his claims of Imus' repeated on-air slander. An insurance adjuster in California has even set up a web site, somewhat cryptically entitled "New Ruskin College," to document Don Imus? ongoing (though dubious) harassment of him through what he believes to be coded messages brodcast over the air. http://www.NewRuskinCollege.com

Related Topics:
Wall Street Journal - Robert Frank - Yale University - New Ruskin College

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Cast members

Featured cast members of the Imus in the Morning include:

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• Charles McCord http://wfan.com/bios/local_bio_mccordcharles_html, his newsman, often playing a sycophant
• Bernard McGuirk http://wfan.com/bios/local_bio_mcguirkbernard_html, his producer, often playing an antagonist, whom Imus sometimes refers to as a "bald-headed stooge."
• Larry Kenney http://wfan.com/bios/local_bio_kennylarry_html, various character voices (Richard Nixon, George Patton, Ted Kennedy, Andy Rooney, ...)
• Rob Bartlett http://www.robshow.com/, more character voices (Bill Clinton, Rush Limbaugh, Scott Muni, Mike Tyson, ...)
• Chris Carlin http://wfan.com/bios/local_bio_024154925/, sports reports
• Tracy Burgess http://wfan.com/bios/local_bio_051113826.html, "scum reports" of gossip and entertainment news
• Lou Rufino http://wfan.com/bios/local_bio_rufinolou_html/, program engineer

Part of the appeal of his cable show is the overt display of office politics: cast members are frequently the butt of Imus' sarcasm, largely because of their outspoken points of view, while McCord works very hard at being neutral and thus staying out of Imus' line of fire.

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Previous sports reporters have included Sid Rosenberg (fired in May 2005 for comments made regarding Kylie Minogue's battle against breast cancer), Warner Wolf, Patrick McEnroe, Mike Breen (valued for his deadpan delivery of false sports news), and Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo (whose career was helped immensely by this role). Previous "scum reporters" have included Janice Dean and Christy Musumeci, who departed for FOX News Channel and MSNBC respectively.

Related Topics:
Sid Rosenberg - May 2005 - Kylie Minogue - Breast cancer - Warner Wolf - Patrick McEnroe - Mike Breen - Deadpan - Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo - Janice Dean - Christy Musumeci - FOX News Channel - MSNBC

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