Don Imus Heading To Fox Business Network?
Industry sources are reporting that Don Imus is in talks with the Fox Business Network to simulcast his “Imus in the Morning” radio program:
“Several sources close to the show claim “Imus In The Morning” is close to a deal which would move the show to the Fox Business Network. According to these sources, RFD-TV is looking to drop the show due to financial problems at the network. Fox Business Network has reportedly shown strong interest in the show, and it could make the move as early as September 1.”
This is a de facto admission by FBN that they have failed to attract an audience capable of sustaining the network. They are approaching their second anniversary and still do not permit Nielsen to publish their ratings. That is an unprecedented situation that suggests that their ratings are embarrassingly bad.
Acquiring Imus would be a desperation play for eyeballs. While Imus suffered a devastating blow as a result of his “nappy headed hos” remarks, losing his top-rated radio program and the MSNBC simulcast, he still has a smaller but significant fan base. However, for a business network to hand over the prime morning hours as the stock market opens to a shock jock with no business credibility tells you that they no longer consider business news their mission. They are grasping for any viewers they can round up. Remember, this is the network that interviewd New York’s Naked Cowboy on their first day of broadcasting.
They haven’t come very far since then, have they?
Tags: Don Imus, FBN, Fox News
[...] Corpse blogger Mark Howard (8/10/09) calls the fact that “industry sources are reporting that Don Imus is in talks with the Fox [...]
Its preposterous to compare a veteran like Imus to the naked cowboy demonstrates how simple minded the writer is. First, Walter Conkrite didn’t have to go to the moon to make his reporting of it epic. All news now is filled with handsmoe men and knock-out babes, ain’t no uglies reading the news these days. And we are supposed to listen to the opinions of former weathermen who, based on their good looks and ability to read a teleprompter now spew forth the reason we are in Iraq or the economic collapse. Fox business does not need any former wall street crooks to show credibility. First it needs viewers, then it needs someone with a brain at the helm then it needs a runner across the bottom of the screen reporting the opening prices.