Oh no, there's a disheveled-looking person on MSNBC this morning wearing a cowboy hat.

[Berry Cool]

Whew! It's only Dwight Yoakam. :rofl:

[KharmaTrain]

1. Imus Will Be Back In January

I got a good tip the other day that he will return to WABC as well as a network of Citadel radio stations. Supposedly the deal includes McCord but not McGuirk.

Well Brian is back for fascist Friday...Joey's got some competition this morning. :rofl:

[MADem]

2. I thought his start date was 1 December

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071024/OPINION02/710240368


ASSUMING Don Imus returns to New York radio, as expected in December, the public will pay close attention to what the famous talk-show host has to say....Mr. Imus should follow through on his pledge to broaden the show. Millions will be listening to what he does with a second chance.


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/17/arts/television/17imus.html?ref=television


October 17, 2007
Imus in Talks With Channel That Has Long Rural Reach
By JACQUES STEINBERG
Don Imus, expected to announce soon that he will begin broadcasting on WABC radio in New York City in December, is in serious discussions with an unlikely partner to simulcast his radio show on television. It is RFD-TV, a satellite and cable channel aimed primarily at farming and other rural communities.

The conversations with RFD-TV were described yesterday by someone on the Imus side who insisted on anonymity because no deal has been signed. Patrick Gottsch, the founder and president of RFD-TV, based in Omaha, did not return a telephone message yesterday seeking comment....For Mr. Imus, whose previous show on CBS Radio was seen nationally on MSNBC, RFD (which stands for rural free delivery) would offer a lower profile. Mr. Imus used to share a cable network with hosts like Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews; at RFD-TV his show would be a marquee lead-in to others with titles like “Cattlemen to Cattlemen” (a 30-minute newsmagazine about the cattle industry) and “Horse Babies” (an eight-week mini-series).

Over Labor Day weekend RFD broadcast a one-hour documentary about Mr. Imus’s ranch in New Mexico, where he regularly plays host to children with cancer and other illnesses. If Mr. Imus were to sign with RFD-TV, he would be seen in New York, Los Angeles and other big cities (with the notable exception of Des Moines) only by viewers with satellite service, including from Dish and DirecTV.

The person familiar with Mr. Imus’s conversations with RFD said that the channel hoped to use his show as a calling card that might earn it a place on Time Warner and other cable systems in New York and other metropolitan areas.

[KharmaTrain]

4. Sounds Like Only On WABC

The rumor around Chicago is WLS will be airing his show...replacing longtime wingnut Don Wade and his wife Roma and other stations also will pick up the show. They probably want to get him back on in the markets he did well in (especially Boston and Washington...Citadel owns WMAL there), but New York's where the real "gold" is...WABC's hoping they get a 4th quarter boost from his return.

As far as RFD-TV...yeee haww. :rofl:

Hopefully he'll be willing to accept payment in bales of hay and bushels of wheat. :rofl:

[MADem]

5. I think the RFD deal has to do with his ranch. And it is a way in.

If RFD can use him to break into cable, that's a massive market, since they are only on satellite at this stage. It's worth some money. No doubt if they get that market, he gets a huge cut for his trouble.

[KharmaTrain]

6. Yep...He's Definitely A Meal Ticket

But for how far. This is always an interesting thing when you see a personality attached to a small or upstart venture. It's a no lose deal for Imus as he gets to get his mug on the screen (and surely his return will be heavily covered by the corporate media) and back into the game. RFD may parlay onto some more cable systems, but in today's digital cable world, they're one channel among 500 or more. But even climbing onto that level puts them in a better place than they are now. We'll see if Imus is able to make this happen.

This kinda reminds me of Franken doing his show on Sundance...it helped both for a while, but soon the returns diminished...becoming a financial drain for Sundance and a creative drain on Franken. Or there's the Howard Stern model that seems to be very quiet these days in his satellite radio and "E" oblivion. Despite the corporate media's attempt to dumb down and manipulate broadcasting, there's no sure thing these days.

[MADem]

7. I suppose they're hoping to get to those locales where it's not TOTALLY rural

but suburban-rural, kinda horsey, small farms here and there, big yards, where people garden, so they can get the feed store ads, the riding mower ads, maybe a few hunting/fishing ads, and so on.

If they use Imus as an entree, and then do a few new shows that appeal to that "not-quite-country/close enough in to have cable" demographic, they may be able to grow their model with or without him. Time will tell. It's a good payday for the guys who are there NOW, anyway--maybe they're just short-termers who want to profit take, too.

[soothsayer]

3. A recent imus photo looks like he got a face lift or botox.

Saw a photo in the NY post recently. He's supposedly dealing to get a tv show on the RFD channel (bizarre country channel on direct tv with other shows like Dutch Oven Cooking and stuff on horses and cattle).