Imus' downfall sends message to broadcasters

IMUS' DOWNFALL SENDS MESSAGE TO BROADCASTERS
[SOURCE: Orlando Sentinel, AUTHOR: Christopher Boyd]
Freewheeling shock jocks beware: In the age of the Internet your words can not only haunt you, they can end your career. Don Imus learned that last week when a sound bite from his morning talk show became a dagger that an angry public turned at his throat. The episode brought the tight-wire act of talk radio into fresh focus. Broadcasters like controversial talk when it draws an audience, but turn on it when advertisers complain or regulators pounce. The digital age has put radio under new scrutiny. When Imus started his career, a flip remark usually vanished in the ether. Today, digital sound bites can be lifted, critiqued and disseminated on the Internet in moments, leading to firestorms like the one that pulled Imus down. That means new risks for broadcasters. But few expect maverick announcers will go away, or even tone down their shows very much. In a competitive, fragmented medium, edgy talk show hosts have a very valuable asset: fiercely loyal audiences.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-radio2007apr20,0,2815707.sto...

* Howard Kurtz's Imus Amnesia
Critic forgets requests to shun racist show
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3089