ABC's World News highlighted appearances on Imus by NBC's Russert, but not by its own anchor
On the April 9 edition of ABC's World News with Charles Gibson, correspondent Dan Harris, reporting on Don Imus' April 4 comments on MSNBC's Imus in the Morning referring to the Rutgers University women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos," noted that "Imus interview[ed] politicians and journalists" both before and since his comments but did not mention that World News anchor Charles Gibson has appeared on Imus' radio program himself. Rather, footage of NBC News Washington bureau chief Tim Russert, host of NBC's Meet the Press, and a graphic from Imus in the Morning that pictured Boston Globe columnist Tom Oliphant and Newsweek's Evan Thomas and Howard Fineman appeared on-screen while Harris reported on the prominence of Imus' guests.
While Russert did, in fact, appear on the April 6, March 16, and March 7 editions of Imus in the Morning, Gibson was also a guest on the program's March 27 and February 15 editions.
From the April 9 edition of ABC's World News with Charles Gibson:
HARRIS: Imus interviews leading politicians and journalists. He did so before the comment and has done so since. Al Sharpton says Imus is mainstreaming racism and should be fired.
[begin video clip]
HARRIS: For you, this is not so much about Don Imus, this is about everybody else and what can be said in public?
REV. AL SHARPTON: That is exactly right. This has nothing to do with Don Imus. It has everything to do with federally regulated airwaves, radio and television, and what advertisers will subsidize and pay for.
TODD BOYD (University of Southern California professor)): I don't think he's gonna lose his job. No. He's too profitable to too many people for a comment like this to derail him, particularly when you have someone who has a history of provocative, inflammatory comment.
[end video clip]
HARRIS: He may not lose his job, but tonight, there is this: NBC is now saying it will suspend its simulcast of the Imus in the Morning show for two weeks. They simulcast it on MSNBC. CBS, which syndicates the show, has criticized his comments, but Charlie, as of yet, there is no talk of canceling the show.
GIBSON: ABC's Dan Harris, reporting tonight.
And so does Senator Dodd, Senator Lieberman, Senator Kerry and Imus also endorsed Kerry for President. Senator Biden, Senator McCaskill. Harold Ford Jr, who Imus endorsed. Al Franken was on the show last year, and Frank Rich is a regular and I fav. What is the point of this thread?
You make a valid point about the Senators, I wonder if they will return, I know McCain the war monger says he will. Paul Begala is going to appear on the Imus show tommorow.
That ABC is covering their own ass in this sorry mess, while pointing the finger at other media outlets.
Just because someone appears or does not appear on Imus' program means nothing - that is no endorsement of condemnation of what comes out of his mouth, either way.
Adults are responsible for their own words and actions, nobody else. This whole "guilt by association" thing is ridiculous.
Tommy,
I agree in theory, but that is not how the world really works. That is like going on a neo-NAZI hosted tv show and talking about your politics and expecting no one to raise an eyebrow about it.
Politicians and credible people would do well to steer clear of Imus.
Sounds like he's pulling an "Olbermann." He can comment only about those he does not work with.
Olbermann has never been on the Imus program.
Doris,
Olberman said last night that he has made a concious descion not to appear on the Imus show and had not appeared since 1998 because he thought the statements often made on the show were grossly inappropriate.
Thank you Lynn, here was the comments. Good for Olbermann!!!!
OLBERMANN: A brief preface to our third story on the COUNTDOWN, the suspension of Don Imus by this network and by CBS radio for his remarks last week about the Rutgers University women‘s basketball team. I may be mistaken about the exact date, but I don‘t believe I have appeared on his radio or television show program 1998. This has been a conscious decision, stemming from what I thought were inappropriate things he has said about various people.
It has also been a conscious decision not to try to publicize this stance. And to borrow the phrase of an ex-colleague, it‘s not my day to run the network. First, NBC announced tonight that the simulcast of Imus in the Morning would not appear here on MSNBC for two weeks, starting next Monday. Then CBS radio announced it would suspend the show outright for the same time span. That time drag, by the way, will permit maximum exposure for his charity radio-thon later this week. Here are the details from our correspondent Rehema Ellis.
The real question is how any of the pundits or news media that appear on IMUS will ever sell another book. Besides being an ahole he was extremely good at hawking books for his guests as well as cleaning supplies for his wife.
Not to mention will this hurt his ability to raise money for his charities. I think his charity work is a good thing but that has NEVER given him an excuse to spew hate.
When ABC points a finger at rival NBC's Russert appearance on rival MSNBC's Imus show, your average viewer might reasonably judge that ABC is cleanly 'above it all', when in fact they are just as guilty as NBC. That's the point of this thread.
BS
The point of the thread is to attack Charlie Gibson. Yet its ok for Senator Biden and Dodd and Kerry to appear on Imus? And also does anyone here disagree when Imus calls Bush the "Worst President in the History of America"?You are all phonies.
If you call the statement "Charles Gibson has appeared on Imus' radio program himself" an "attack", you're very thin-skinned.
No but countless others appear on Imus. Bob Schieffer does, and CBS News last night also showed a picture of Russert. Is it possible it is stock footage and that is all they are allowed to show ? Also Gibson and Schieffer never appear in front of Imus, its usually on the phone. John and Theresa Kerry sat in the studio with him 2 weeks ago, if that footage is used , will everyone here be in arms about that?
The point here is that ABC casts a judgmental eye to NBC and Russert, while inexcusably giving a pass to itself and Gibson, and leaving the viewer the false impression that no one at ABC has gone on Imus' show.
Diversions, diversions, diversions. I personally think they should fire ALL of these right wing "hos", which is what they are. Beck, Hannity, Carlson, etc. are nothing but trash talking, BS walking, whinning punks. They lost sight of the truth after they all came out of the closet and fell in love with Dubya and the rest of the PNAC fanatics. Thank God for Media Matters and the rest of the believers in truth and justice. See, now I don't have to watch the creeping crud, I just open my Email. A million thanks!
I probably haven't heard/seen 10 minutes of Imus, total, in my life, but I heard Tom Oliphant for an hour a week on the much-missed Al Franken Show, and I was crushed when I heard what he said to Imus in support. Nauseated.
I counted SIX SEPERATE Imu-related stories on MM today- I mean, come on, talk about overkill. Why isnt anyone other than Randi Rhodes pointing out the fact that what Imus said is kid's stuff compared to what Mark Levine, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Weiner Savage, Glenn Beck, Laura Ingraham, Michael Reagan, etc. etc. ETC. say EVERY. SINGLE. DAY??? No tears shed for Don Imus, but why all this attention on HIM and not ALL OF THEM?
To answer your question.This is about the peole you just mentioned.As of this moment msnbc will no longer televise Imus show on t.v.Starting Immediatley.Don't you get it this is the wake up call for all these smear talking,degrading comments that these guys so freely toss around they are now on notice that the people will shut them down..,