Don Imus back on air in early December

BY NEIL BEST

October 8, 2007

Don Imus will end his radio exile of nearly eight months by returning to the air on or about Dec. 3, filling the morning drive time slot on WABC-AM, a person familiar with the plans said Monday.

Citadel Broadcasting, which owns ABC Radio, likely will announce a deal with Imus by the end of the week. He is expected to bring with him most or all of his cast from the "Imus in the Morning Show" that until April 12 was heard on WFAN and other stations around the nation. It was cancelled by CBS Radio in the wake of what many considered racially and sexually insensitive remarks directed at Rutgers' women's basketball team.

Bernard McGuirk, Imus' controversial producer/writer/performer, is expected to have a role on the show but it was not clear Monday night precisely what it will be.

Citadel presumably will syndicate the program on the radio and seek a partner for a TV simulcast. Imus' WFAN show was seen on MSNBC.

Yet to be determined is how many of Imus' former advertisers will make the switch to WABC with him, but at least several important ones are expected to do so.

Imus is in line to replace the long-time WABC morning team of Curtis Sliwa and Ron Kuby. Sliwa said Wednesday he had not heard anything from station executives about a possible Imus signing.