Below The Beltway

Only a few days after announcing that they would be suspending him for two weeks, MSNBC has dropped Don Imus from it’s lineup entirely:

NEW YORK (CNN) — MSNBC has canceled its “Imus in the Morning” simulcast, the network announced Wednesday.

The decision comes following remarks deemed racist and sexist that radio talk-show host Don Imus made last week about the Rutgers women’s basketball team that prompted a number of advertisers to drop the program.

The NBC News statement said:

“This decision comes as a result of an ongoing review process, which initially included the announcement of a suspension. It also takes into account many conversations with our own employees. What matters to us most is that the men and women of NBC Universal have confidence in the values we have set for this company. This is the only decision that makes that possible. Once again, we apologize to the women of the Rutgers basketball team and to our viewers. We deeply regret the pain this incident has caused.”

In reality, of course, the very fact that MSNBC was simulcasting a morning radio show was an indication that they didn’t have anything to put on the morning that would’ve done any better in the ratings. Otherwise, the idea of watching a radio show on the television is, when you think about it for a second, somewhat silly.

Nonetheless, this is the latest shoe to drop on Imus. It’s happened fast, but that’s the way things happen in our hyperspeed society. The next question to be answered is whether he’ll have a radio show at all by the time this is over.