Imus Sued Over Radio Spots. Advertiser claims host disparaged them...in their own commercials.

[Ian David]

JANUARY 24--A Tennessee company is suing Don Imus for $4 million after the radio host allegedly disparaged the firm last year while reading its commercials on his show.

FlatSigned Press alleges that Imus made snide comments about the company as he read spots advertising its sale of copies of the Warren Commission report signed by President Gerald Ford, a member of the government panel that investigated the John F. Kennedy assassination. The January 2007 radio spots aired one month after Ford's death. The timing of the ads, it seems, prompted Imus to remark that FlatSigned--which sells autographed and collectible books--were "bastards" who waited for Ford "to croak so they could unload these."

He then added, "Now that he's flat-lined, you go to flatsigned.com."

Imus repeated similar sentiments in other live commercials, remarking, "This has gotta be a joke."

FlatSigned paid about $5000 for the spots, which directed listeners to its web site, where the limited edition Ford volume (which sold for upwards of $900) could be ordered.

In its January 23 New York State Supreme Court lawsuit, an excerpt of which you'll find below, FlatSigned charges that it was damaged by Imus's refusal to read its ad copy verbatim. In addition to Imus, the company is suing Infinity Broadcasting, for whom Imus worked until last April, when he was fired for making offensive comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team. (6 pages)



More:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/0124081ford1.html

Yay, Imus! You go, dude! FlatSigned is a bunch of vulture-headed Hoes!

Meanwhile, may I suggest marketing The Mrs. Imus Feminine Hygiene Wash / Leather Conditioner (in jalapeno and mesquite flavors).

[tularetom]

1. Imus is a horses ass but this is just silly

They got the publicity they paid for. They're gonna have a hard time proving damages.

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. They used to pay extra to have him shred their products on-air

Times have changed, evidently.

[Ian David]

3. I'm not a big Imus fan, but I'm with him on this one. n/t

[Raine]

4. Oh phooey this is ridiculous

I remember Johnny Carson used to "disparage" his sponsers and they loved it. What do they expect on a show like that, they're just greedy.