Don Imus: A 7-day Downfall

April 4: Don Imus, radio show host of "Imus in the Morning," refers to the Rutgers University women’s basketball team as “nappy-headed hos” (Media Matters story and video).

Imus apologizes for his "insensitive and ill-conceived remarks" (CBS).

McCain said: “[Imus] has apologized…I’m a great believer in redemption.” Presidential candidates respond to Imus’ comments (Washington Post Politics Blog).

Rutgers women's basketball team at a press conference April 10: “We have not come to a conclusion on whether we will accept the apology” (Audio from New Jersey's The Star-Ledger)(Transcript from Rutgers University).

Al Sharpton in a radio interview with Imus asked: “Mr. Imus, do you think it's funny to call people nappy-headed ho's?” (YouTube) (Transcript from the New York Times)

Biggest sponsors pull ads from Imus’ show “indefinitely” (Bloomberg).

MSNBC ends its simulcast of Imus’ morning show April 11 amid controversy over the radio host’s slurs last week (MSNBC).

Imus’ firing “isn’t the end, but the beginning of a national dialogue and fundamental change” (MSNBC).

Regular guests on Imus’ morning show “are now faced with a dilemma: jettison a longtime relationship, or be associated with a show now widely regarded as disreputable?” (Washington Post).

Some African-American groups reject Imus' apology and call for him to be taken off the air (NPR).

CBS fires Imus April 12 in a final blow after one week of intense criticism (Houston Chronicle).

Imus downfall could also mean the fall of a successful franchise his show and appearances have helped create (New York Times).

Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press said if Imus had to go, then we’ve got a lot more firing to do (Detroit Free Press).

Gwen Ifill said on "Meet the Press": “My concern about Mr. Imus and a lot of people and a lot of the debate in this society is not that people are sorry that they say these things, they are sorry that someone catches them” (Think Progress) (YouTube).