In April 2007, radio "shock jock" Don Imus, the host of CBS radio's "Imus in the Morning," a show simulcast on MSNBC, was suspended and later fired for calling Rutgers University female basketball players “nappy-headed hos.”
The back-and-forth between Mr. Imus and his executive producer, Bernard McGuirk, on the players’ “rough” look and tattoos unleashed strong disapproval from many public figures, including then-Sen. Barack Obama, the Rev. Al Sharpton, and Jesse Jackson.
Although Imus apologized for the comment and was initially suspended, MSNBC dropped the show, and CBS later followed. “One day you got a radio and TV show, and, well, next day you don’t,” said Imus.
Imus later sued CBS for breach of contract because part of his agreement with them acknowledged his show would contain "irreverent" and "controversial" content. CBS settled with Imus for an undisclosed sum, and the radio personality was back on the air – this time for ABC – by December 2007.
