Imus Bounces Back After Scandal

The once-axed radio host Don Imus has re-emerged on the airwaves largely unscathed by his racially and sexually disparaging remarks about Rutgers' female hoop stars, the New York Times reports. Both advertisers and call-in guests—including John Kerry, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mike Huckabee—have nearly tripped over one another to return to his program since it was resurrected in December.

The show's success is underscored by Comcast's bid to add the mostly moderate-markets RFD-TV channel to its big-city offerings, a move that suggests Imus' attempts at redemption have worked without a hitch. One media expert attributes Imus' renewed success to the audience's short attention span, and "a lot of competition for the shelf space of national outrage.” Another professor is "troubled by the cynicism" surrounding the host's quick return. (More Don Imus stories.)