Imus fired up for suit & snappy comeback
BY DAVID HINCKLEY and CORKY SIEMASZKO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Posted Thursday, May 3rd 2007, 9:59 AM
Don Imus is preparing to sue his former employer - and plotting a possible return to radio.
The radio jock who was fired by CBS for ripping the Rutgers women's basketball team as "nappy-headed ho's" has hired one of the nation's top First Amendment lawyers to help him recoup the $40million left on his contract.
Imus also has told close friends he's hoping to be back on the radio within a few months.
"I don't think there's going to be a problem in the world with the advertisers," said private eye Bo Dietl, an Imus confidant. "We don't know yet where he'll be on the radio. But I think we're going to be back on in the fall."
CBS spokeswoman Karen Mateo said the company is declining all comment on Imus' move, and the ousted jock's lawyer, Martin Garbus, did not return a call for comment about a possible lawsuit.
But Fortune magazine reported that Imus' contract, which went into effect last year and paid about $10 million a year, had a "dog-has- one-bite" clause. That means Imus had to be warned before getting canned. Industry experts said Imus stands a good chance of winning if he takes CBS to court.
According to a portion of the contract obtained by CNN, CBS knew what it was getting and encouraged Imus to be controversial.
"Services to be rendered are of [an] ... irreverent ... controversial and personal character. These components are desired by and are consistent with company rules and policies," Imus' contract read, according to CNN.
"They wanted someone controversial and on the edge, and he gave it to them," said Steven J.J. Weisman, legal editor of Talkers magazine, which covers talk radio.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, who led the charge to have Imus fired, said he's waiting to see which Imus returns to the air. "If he comes back as his oldself, we'd go back to the advertisers and ask them not to support him," he said. "It would mean he was disingenuous when he apologized to the Rutgers women."
dhinckley@nydailynews.com
http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2007/05/03/2007-05-03_imus_fired_up_for_suit__snappy_comeback.html
BY DAVID HINCKLEY and CORKY SIEMASZKO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Posted Thursday, May 3rd 2007, 9:59 AM
Don Imus is preparing to sue his former employer - and plotting a possible return to radio.
The radio jock who was fired by CBS for ripping the Rutgers women's basketball team as "nappy-headed ho's" has hired one of the nation's top First Amendment lawyers to help him recoup the $40million left on his contract.
Imus also has told close friends he's hoping to be back on the radio within a few months.
"I don't think there's going to be a problem in the world with the advertisers," said private eye Bo Dietl, an Imus confidant. "We don't know yet where he'll be on the radio. But I think we're going to be back on in the fall."
CBS spokeswoman Karen Mateo said the company is declining all comment on Imus' move, and the ousted jock's lawyer, Martin Garbus, did not return a call for comment about a possible lawsuit.
But Fortune magazine reported that Imus' contract, which went into effect last year and paid about $10 million a year, had a "dog-has- one-bite" clause. That means Imus had to be warned before getting canned. Industry experts said Imus stands a good chance of winning if he takes CBS to court.
According to a portion of the contract obtained by CNN, CBS knew what it was getting and encouraged Imus to be controversial.
"Services to be rendered are of [an] ... irreverent ... controversial and personal character. These components are desired by and are consistent with company rules and policies," Imus' contract read, according to CNN.
"They wanted someone controversial and on the edge, and he gave it to them," said Steven J.J. Weisman, legal editor of Talkers magazine, which covers talk radio.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, who led the charge to have Imus fired, said he's waiting to see which Imus returns to the air. "If he comes back as his oldself, we'd go back to the advertisers and ask them not to support him," he said. "It would mean he was disingenuous when he apologized to the Rutgers women."
dhinckley@nydailynews.com
http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2007/05/03/2007-05-03_imus_fired_up_for_suit__snappy_comeback.html
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