Imus and Free Speech

Yesterday and today, the big story on talk radio has been the backlash against Imus' firing, including hate mail being sent to the VICTIMS of his "joke". Radio is abuzz with angry, pro-Imus callers, asking: Is "political correctness" killing freedom in America? Why is there a double-standard, in which there are words which are “verboten” only for white people? Where's Imus' right to free speech?

There IS no “free speech” issue in the Imus story. Imus isn’t arrested. His property isn’t seized. Despite many complaints, the new “tougher” FCC, which arose as a result of the Janet Jackson dust-up, didn’t even level any fines. The State is not suppressing anything.

Imus was dismissed by GE and Viacom, giant, sprawling corporations that viewed supporting him to be a liability for their shareholders and their other employees. It’s ironic to me that many of the same people who most fervently praise the free market and supply-side economics are the first to call “foul”, when this decision is so obviously the product of supply-side economics.

Imus made a ton of money, bringing in millions of dollars for CBS Radio, while costing them only his salary, staff and studio. He spoke to affluent white men, a desirable market for advertisers. If CBS Radio was a SOLITARY company, a “radio only” company, chances are, Imus would not have been fired. “Blacks are offended? Who cares! They don’t listen, anyway!” Imus could go on a rant about political correctness run amuck, and emerge a hero to his key “demo” of affluent white men.

But, in the wake of media de-regulation and consolidation, radio is not Viacom’s only business. And CNBC is a troublesome speck on the blotter of the giant GE. Do you think GE wants to lose market share in lightbulbs and appliances over Don Imus? What do you think the money he generates – enough to keep a decent-sized company in the black – means to GE, who makes – in profit -- around 1.5 billion a QUARTER? It’s NOTHING.

Imus is an employee, on a contract. I have the freedom of speech (which I’m exercising right now) – but I’m not doing it on company time or with a company computer. Workplaces can limit all kinds of “liberties”. It’s apples and oranges.

Two giant corporations with massive media holdings, Viacom and GE, decided that racism and sexism are bad for business – whether that is measured in loss of ad revenue, fear of a worsening P.R. disaster or merely in terms of internal strife, racism and sexism was viewed as a LIABILITY.

All of the corporations that decided to pull ads from Imus’ show decided that racism and sexism were a liability.

And that’s the story. Racism and sexism, at least in this case, were rejected as being bad for the bottom line. That’s how America changes: when values are reflected in the marketplace. When Bill Cosby proves that white people will watch a show about a black family, the market responds. When Eddie Murphy proves that a blockbuster can star an African-American comedian, the market responds. When Shania Twain proves that a woman can outsell established, male country music artists, tons of women flood the market.

Imus’ dismissal is not the erosion of free speech, but proof of a growing sensitivity to diverse “markets” – groups of people, black, brown, female, non-racist whites – on the part of Fortune 500 companies. That’s something to be celebrated.

If you agree with me, thank these companies for not supporting sexism and racism:

General Motors

Sprint Nextel

Bigelow Tea

Staples

Proctor & Gamble

PetMed Express

GlaxoSmithKline

American Express (Ron Stovall/SVP Investor Relations)