Sanjaya: He’s Still Here

SANAYA: BESAME MUCHO

The questionably talented but clearly popular Sanjaya Malakar easily survived another elimination on the hit show American Idol on Wednesday after a performance that even the irascible judge Simon Cowell conceded “wasn’t horrible.”

Malakar, who has emerged as the show’s star, especially since radio jock Howard Stern exhorted his listeners to vote for the 17-year-old whose wacky hairdos on the show have been as nutty as some of his performances, again managed to escape being lumped among the bottom three.  His singing of “Besame Mucho” on this week’s Latin-themed edition, featuring a guest appearance by “superstar” Jennifer Lopez, was among his best-received in recent weeks.  The judges almost fawned over him, even saying that his singing was “really good,” smart and smooth, with Simon Cowell going so far as to say that it pained him to have to concede that Sanjaya’s crooning tonight actually “wasn’t horrible.”

American Idol‘s music director has said that he thinks Malakar could well win the whole thing.

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NBC News Cancels Imus’s MSNBC News Program

NBC News President Steve Capus Discusses The Decision

NBC Cancels Imus in The Morning

NBC News has dropped Don Imus’s talk show on its MSNBC cable news channel a week after Mr. Imus made racially degrading remarks about the Rutgers University women’s basketball team.  The move came after several days of heated calls for Mr. Imus to be relieved of his positions both at MSNBC, which simulcasts the Imus in the Morning show, and at CBS Radio, which originates the show.

CBS Radio, which is Mr. Imus’s main employer, issued a statement last night that stated it would stick by the two-week suspension of the program, which begins Monday, that it and NBC news announced earlier.  However, CBS said it that during those two weeks it would continue speaking with all concerned parties and monitor the situation closely.

The demands that Mr. Imus be fired had grown in intensity every day since last Wednesday when he made the comments, in which he labeled the women “nappy-headed hos.”  Numerous advertisers had also announced that they would refuse to sponsor the show in the future.  Among the advertisers were General Motors, American Express, Sprint Nextel, GlaxoSmithKline, TD Ameritrade and Ditech.com.

Imus Fired: NBC News President Tells Staff Members Why

NBC News President Steve Capus’ Internal Memo to Staff Members:

Over the course of the last week many of you have reached out to me and expressed your strong viewpoints on the Don Imus situation.  I’ve had countless conversations, e-mail exchanges and phone calls with people throughout this company.  I’ve heard you loud and clear.  Therefore, we are announcing tonight that MSNBC will no longer simulcast the Imus radio program…

My primary concern has been and always will be the integrity of this division.  We are the guardians of the good name of NBC News — each and every one of us.  There has been a trust placed in us. We must honor and respect this trust.  That, in short is why we have taken this action.